Flamengo traveled to São Paulo on Thursday night (02) to face the Pinheiros team for the 19th round of the Novo Basquete Brasil. Even with the absences of Marcelinho Machado, Ricardo Fischer and Humberto, all recovering from injuries, the team led by coach José Neto interrupted the losing streak and returned to the top of the NBB9 standings after beating the opponent, in overtime, by 84 to 77. The highlights for Flamengo were the centers Olivinha and JP Batista, who recorded two double-doubles in the game. In the final tally, Olivinha finished the match with 21 points and 14 rebounds, while JP equaled with 10 in these two categories.

 

"We knew the game was going to be very tough, especially considering the form both teams are in. They were coming in high spirits, and we needed to win to bounce back. We managed to stay focused the whole time and also had a bit of 'luck,' since Bennett had a chance to win the game. This was a great victory for us," Olivinha told the National Basketball League's official website.

 

Besides the number 16 and 13 players from FlaBasquete, another key player in the victory over Pinheiros was shooting guard Ronald Ramon, who was on the court for an incredible 42 minutes. He finished the match with 19 points, four assists and four rebounds. With this result, the Pride of the Nation now has a 72,2% success rate in the competition, with 18 games and 13 wins. Rubro-Negro depends on the result between Brasília and Basquete Cearense, this Friday (03), to remain leader of the NBB.