Flamengo's first-place finish in the Novo Basquete Brasil is well underway. The red-and-blacks took the lead in the competition this Sunday (March 21.03), and now it's up to them to advance to the playoffs as the leader. However, the players and coaching staff are having none of it, either.

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There are still four matches remaining in the qualifying round, and until the final one, against rival Brasília, the team knows it can't afford to let the ball drop. For power forward Teichmann, the team's progress in the second round of the competition is clear and crucial to this push.

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"We did our job and knew that, sooner or later, we would climb the table. The team didn't lose a single game in the second half of the season, they improved tremendously, and that's why they got these good results. We deserved to get where we are, and now we have to keep it up," he said.

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Taking first place this round ended up being a surprise for Flamengo. Point guard Hélio, for example, admits he wasn't expecting to take the lead this Sunday, but he couldn't hide his happiness at the stumbles of former leader Brasília and third-place Franca.

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"It was a pleasant surprise, but we can't get carried away by it. We have to stay grounded, take it game by game, and do our best to make it to the playoffs. We still have a direct clash against Brasília, and we have to win there no matter what," he noted.

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Flamengo returns to the court next Friday, the 26th, to face Bauru, away from home, at 20 pm. The Rubro-Negro is looking for its twelfth consecutive victory in the NBB.