Flamengo beats Libertad and finishes third
Rubro-negro shows desire and beats Argentinians 89 to 68, in Brasília
By press office - in
Even without winger Duda, who was rested due to left shoulder pain, Flamengo bounced back from their loss to Juventud Sionista and defeated Libertad Sunchales 89-68 this Thursday in Brasília. With the result, the red-and-black team finished third in the Brazilian bracket of the Interligas Tournament. Coach Paulo Chupeta's team will only return to the court for the quarterfinals of the Novo Basquete Brasil on April 23, away against an opponent to be determined in the round of XNUMX, which began this Wednesday.
Showing a different approach than in the match against the third-place team in the Argentine league, Flamengo dominated the entire match against Libertad. With Jefferson inspired by his three-pointers, the red-and-black team went into halftime with a 13-point lead. With the advantage in the score, Paulo Chupeta took advantage of it to rotate the team and bring on some players who had not been playing on the court, such as Alírio, who had knee problems, and Vitor.
With their starters on the court, the Argentine team managed to close the gap to just three points. But it was time for Hélio, Jefferson, and Marcelinho to take control of the game and increase the lead back to ten points. From then on, the Argentines threw in the towel, and the red-and-black team sealed the victory with a fine performance.
Point guard Hélio was the red-and-black's standout performer with 18 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and four steals. Forward Jefferson, the team's leading scorer with 19 points, including 15 on three-pointers, also performed well. Happy with his form, he guarantees he'll make it to the playoffs XNUMX percent.
"I'm happy with this performance. This was my best match since I came back. I'm still not 100 percent like the other players, but we have two weeks to improve our technique and physical condition to enter this final stretch prepared to fight for our third title," said the red-and-black winger.
Coach Paulo Chupeta was also pleased with the red-black team's performance, mainly due to the change in the team's defensive stance.
"Today the team played intelligently, and they felt it when we switched to zone defense. We played a collective game, which is this team's strength, and we showed an offensive consistency we didn't achieve in the match against Sionista. Even when they pressed us, we managed to maintain control of the match. Now it's time to train hard these two weeks to enter the playoffs 100 percent," said the red-and-black coach.
Showing a different approach than in the match against the third-place team in the Argentine league, Flamengo dominated the entire match against Libertad. With Jefferson inspired by his three-pointers, the red-and-black team went into halftime with a 13-point lead. With the advantage in the score, Paulo Chupeta took advantage of it to rotate the team and bring on some players who had not been playing on the court, such as Alírio, who had knee problems, and Vitor.
With their starters on the court, the Argentine team managed to close the gap to just three points. But it was time for Hélio, Jefferson, and Marcelinho to take control of the game and increase the lead back to ten points. From then on, the Argentines threw in the towel, and the red-and-black team sealed the victory with a fine performance.
Point guard Hélio was the red-and-black's standout performer with 18 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and four steals. Forward Jefferson, the team's leading scorer with 19 points, including 15 on three-pointers, also performed well. Happy with his form, he guarantees he'll make it to the playoffs XNUMX percent.
"I'm happy with this performance. This was my best match since I came back. I'm still not 100 percent like the other players, but we have two weeks to improve our technique and physical condition to enter this final stretch prepared to fight for our third title," said the red-and-black winger.
Coach Paulo Chupeta was also pleased with the red-black team's performance, mainly due to the change in the team's defensive stance.
"Today the team played intelligently, and they felt it when we switched to zone defense. We played a collective game, which is this team's strength, and we showed an offensive consistency we didn't achieve in the match against Sionista. Even when they pressed us, we managed to maintain control of the match. Now it's time to train hard these two weeks to enter the playoffs 100 percent," said the red-and-black coach.