Flamengo wins and advances to the NBB semifinals
Led by Marcelinho, the red-black team outdid itself and beat São José 3-0
By press office - in
If Flamengo lacked technique, they made up for it in their dramatic 95-91 victory over São José, after two overtimes (79-79 and 85-85), this Monday (27.04), at the HSBC Arena. With the victory, the red-and-black team, which felt the loss of wing Guilherme Teichmann, who suffered pain in the adductor muscle of his left leg, closed out the series against the São Paulo champions 3-0 and will now face the team from Franca in the semifinals of the Novo Basquete Brasil. The first game of the confrontation will be next Tuesday in the interior of São Paulo.
Just like in the second game of the series, Flamengo started with too many errors. However, this time, the São Paulo team had the upper hand and quickly opened up a 12-4 lead. With Matheus and Fúlvio inspiring three-pointers, the São Paulo champions maintained the lead throughout the period and finished the first ten minutes leading 19-13.
Flamengo improved, closing the deficit to just two points, but continued to be plagued by defensive errors. To make matters worse, coach Chupeta lost forward Jefferson, who suffered a trauma to his right foot and left the court with a suspected fracture. But good news arrived during the match. The scan revealed only a tear, and the player should be cleared for the first game of the semifinals. Better for São José, who continued their excellent three-point shooting and went into the locker room with a six-point lead (45-39).
The situation remained unchanged after halftime, and Flamengo continued to chase the scoreboard for practically the entire third quarter. Once again, Fred's introduction improved the red-and-black team, and with a more aggressive individual defense, Flamengo finally turned the game around with a Marcelinho free throw with just over five minutes remaining. São José felt the blow, and coach Paulo Chupeta's team took a 77-71 lead, giving the impression that they would close out the series without any major problems. But the São Paulo team had Matheus and Fúlvio – each with seven three-pointers made in the game – on a very inspired night and ended up tying the score. Marcelinho still had a chance to give Flamengo the win, but missed the final shot.
With numerous errors on both sides, the first overtime was dramatic and tense. Flamengo lost Wagner, who was eliminated with five fouls, and São José also lost winger Wanderson. The São Paulo team had the victory in their hands, but Duda's layup with two seconds remaining leveled the score. In the second overtime, Flamengo took the lead, opening up a four-point lead. To make matters worse for the São Paulo champion, Fúlvio committed his fifth foul and also left the court. From then on, it was just a matter of managing the advantage and securing qualification for the semifinals.
A standout performer with a double-double (double-digit points in two fundamentals), 35 points, and 16 rebounds, Marcelinho summed up the dramatic victory in a single game: overcoming obstacles. For the red-and-black star, the team excelled and showed why they are the current two-time champions.
"We won because we showed resilience. We opted for the same defensive tactic as the second game, but today (Monday) they were having a very good night shooting three-pointers. That's why it ended up not working out. We had to chase the scoreboard practically the entire game, and in the end, we managed to turn around a situation that seemed impossible. Now we have to prepare to face a traditional opponent like Franca," explained Marcelinho.
Almost without a voice, coach Chupeta breathed a sigh of relief at the end of the game and once again highlighted the strength of the red-black team.
"We didn't have a happy night, but fortunately we managed a heroic victory. The players' resilience was even more important. We lost two important players like Teichmann and Jefferson, but the group came together and once again showed its strength," said the red-and-black coach.
Just like in the second game of the series, Flamengo started with too many errors. However, this time, the São Paulo team had the upper hand and quickly opened up a 12-4 lead. With Matheus and Fúlvio inspiring three-pointers, the São Paulo champions maintained the lead throughout the period and finished the first ten minutes leading 19-13.
Flamengo improved, closing the deficit to just two points, but continued to be plagued by defensive errors. To make matters worse, coach Chupeta lost forward Jefferson, who suffered a trauma to his right foot and left the court with a suspected fracture. But good news arrived during the match. The scan revealed only a tear, and the player should be cleared for the first game of the semifinals. Better for São José, who continued their excellent three-point shooting and went into the locker room with a six-point lead (45-39).
The situation remained unchanged after halftime, and Flamengo continued to chase the scoreboard for practically the entire third quarter. Once again, Fred's introduction improved the red-and-black team, and with a more aggressive individual defense, Flamengo finally turned the game around with a Marcelinho free throw with just over five minutes remaining. São José felt the blow, and coach Paulo Chupeta's team took a 77-71 lead, giving the impression that they would close out the series without any major problems. But the São Paulo team had Matheus and Fúlvio – each with seven three-pointers made in the game – on a very inspired night and ended up tying the score. Marcelinho still had a chance to give Flamengo the win, but missed the final shot.
With numerous errors on both sides, the first overtime was dramatic and tense. Flamengo lost Wagner, who was eliminated with five fouls, and São José also lost winger Wanderson. The São Paulo team had the victory in their hands, but Duda's layup with two seconds remaining leveled the score. In the second overtime, Flamengo took the lead, opening up a four-point lead. To make matters worse for the São Paulo champion, Fúlvio committed his fifth foul and also left the court. From then on, it was just a matter of managing the advantage and securing qualification for the semifinals.
A standout performer with a double-double (double-digit points in two fundamentals), 35 points, and 16 rebounds, Marcelinho summed up the dramatic victory in a single game: overcoming obstacles. For the red-and-black star, the team excelled and showed why they are the current two-time champions.
"We won because we showed resilience. We opted for the same defensive tactic as the second game, but today (Monday) they were having a very good night shooting three-pointers. That's why it ended up not working out. We had to chase the scoreboard practically the entire game, and in the end, we managed to turn around a situation that seemed impossible. Now we have to prepare to face a traditional opponent like Franca," explained Marcelinho.
Almost without a voice, coach Chupeta breathed a sigh of relief at the end of the game and once again highlighted the strength of the red-black team.
"We didn't have a happy night, but fortunately we managed a heroic victory. The players' resilience was even more important. We lost two important players like Teichmann and Jefferson, but the group came together and once again showed its strength," said the red-and-black coach.