In another away game for the NBB, Flamengo ended up being defeated by Pato Basquete by 97 to 91, on Saturday afternoon (13), at the Sesi Pato Branco gym. Now, the Pride of the Nation turns the key and focuses on the match against Boca Juniors, for the Basketball Champions League Americas, next Thursday (18), in Uruguay.  

1st Bedroom
Mengão's first two points of the match came from Devon Scott, who spun inside the paint and scored. The early game was evenly matched, with the teams trading points on offense, and Pato had a slight lead. Until Scott Machado shot a three-pointer, the ball fell, and the red-and-black team took the lead. In the final minutes, with three three-pointers, the team from Paraná regained the lead: 21-17.

2st Bedroom
Early in the second period, Didi scored his first three-pointer of the game. The Red-Blacks were making numerous errors on offense and wasting important points. Pato, on the other hand, was capitalizing on his chances to score. With another three-pointer from Didi, the Pride of the Nation cut the deficit to just one point. With the game evenly matched, the home team remained ahead by four points: 41-37.

3st Bedroom
After halftime, Pato continued their strong pace and continued scoring. The Paraná team was performing well on three-pointers. Gabriel Jaú responded in kind, also converting a three-pointer. Gui Deodato then pounced on a rebound in the paint and added two more. The red-and-black team managed to get closer in the final half of the quarter. Balbi came down on the counterattack, penetrated the paint, and scored two more on a layup. The final seconds were electrifying, with the game's points-sharing pace, and Orgulho da Nação took the lead: 63-60.

4st Bedroom
In the final ten minutes, Pato regained the lead early on with three perimeter shots. Filipovity responded immediately with a three-pointer to reduce the deficit to six points. The match was wide open. At the right time, Balbi got behind during the screen and hit a crucial three-pointer. The Argentine point guard was outstanding, having performed exceptionally well in the fourth quarter. With a minute remaining, Mengão held a one-point lead. With seven seconds remaining, the opponent regained the lead to one point. In the final play, Jaú was fouled and made only one free throw, forcing overtime: 81-81.

In the five extra minutes, the match remained very even. Pato led by just one point. With two successful free throws, Jaú put Mengão ahead. With a three-pointer in the final seconds, Pato Basquete regained the lead. Both teams kept counting down the clock with fouls, and the home team prevailed, winning 97-91.

Next challenge
FlaBasquete returns to the court next Thursday (18) to face Boca Juniors, at 19:10 pm (Brasília time), at the Palacio Peñarol gym, in Montevideo-URU, in the second window of the first phase of the Baskeball Champions League Americas.

Starting Quintet
Scott Machado, Gui Deodato, Loku Cuello, Gabriel Jaú and Devon Scott.