Flamengo defeated Limeira last Thursday (May 17.05), advancing to the finals of the New Basketball Brazil (NBB) for the third consecutive year. Since then, coach José Neto and the athletes have been working hard in preparation for their fourth title in the competition. The Most Beloved will find out their opponent this Wednesday (May 20.05), as Bauru and Mogi das Cruzes face each other for the last time to break the tie in the five-game semifinal series. 

During the preparations, Flamengo's point guard Nicolas Laprovittola praised Flamengo's further appearance in the finals and ruled out naming a team for the duel. "It will be a match in which both teams will leave their all on the court. It will be the last performance for either team, and I don't believe there will be a favorite. The team that shows the most determination to win will win the match," he stated. 

Point guard Vitor Benite agreed with his teammate and stressed that he doesn't believe in favoritism. "I believe this series only confirms the quality of this year's championship, where favoritism doesn't exist on the court. Both teams are playing a very physical playoff, with a lot of determination and desire. Given this, we already know that no matter which opponent comes, both will have a great final against Flamengo."

The winner of Bauru and Mogi das Cruzes will face Flamengo in the NBB finals in a three-game series. The first game takes place on May 26th.