Flamengo is in the final of the NBB Opening Tournament. On Thursday night (2), Rubro-Negro beat Unión Santa Fé, from Argentina, by 80 to 73, at Arena BRB Nilson Nelson, in Brasília, and secured its place in the competition's final. The final will be next Saturday (4), at 20 pm, against Minas.

The match marked the nation's reunion with Franco Balbi, the Argentine point guard who made history with Flamengo and now plays for Unión. On the court, however, it was Alexey Borges who shone. The Flamengo point guard was decisive, scoring 23 points and 6 assists, 11 of which came in the final quarter, as the team secured the victory.

After the match, Alexey analyzed the team's performance and projected the rest of the season.

"We're still finding our feet, it's normal to have these kinds of games (tough) at this point in the season. We haven't had much time to train together yet, because of the selection tournaments and the Intercontinental. We're getting things right, the Opening Tournament is for that very reason, to improve as a team so we can be in good shape when it's time to decide the championships. We'll keep working to reach our best," he concluded.

With the result, Flamengo maintained its 100% record in the tournament, with three wins in three games.