Flamengo secured a significant victory in the first game of the NBB Playoffs. The "Mais Querido" (Most Beloved) team crushed União Corinthians 102-72 this Wednesday at Maracanãzinho, taking the lead in the Round of 16 series. 

A highlight was Argentine shooting guard Alex Negrete, who scored 30 points and was the game's top scorer. He also contributed 11 rebounds and four assists. 

Flamengo and União Corinthians will face each other again this Saturday at 18 PM in Santa Cruz do Sul for the second leg of their series. The match will be broadcast on FlamengoTV. The third leg will also be played in Rio Grande do Sul. If União Corinthians wins either game, the series will return to Rio de Janeiro.

Besides Negrete, Wesley, with 19 points, and Cummings, with 12 points, also stood out. In terms of rebounds, Kayo and Doria also did well with nine each. Finally, in assists, Baralle stood out, recording six. 

Wednesday's victory marked the debut of coach Fernandinho at the helm of the team. He takes over from Argentinian Sergio Hernández, who was dismissed after a poor performance in the BCLA Final Four.