Marcelinho Machado's 22 points, four assists and six rebounds in FlaBasquete's victory this Saturday afternoon (30), at Arena Carioca 1, against Vasco, reflect the size of his importance to Rubro-Negro. The Captain likes big games, tough opponents and decisive games. That's what he did.

With just over 29 minutes on the court, the number 4 made the classic his stage and set the game alight upon entering the second quarter. With the Arena completely red-and-black and vibrant, Flamengo managed to win the last match of 2017, ending the first part of Marcelinho's final chapter with a flourish.

After the match, the standout spoke to the press about the result and his performance. "Regardless of our position in the table, it's always going to be a hard-fought match. They started better and took advantage of the spaces we left in defense, but we found our feet later. I'm happy to have helped Flamengo. We know there's still a long way to go, but victories like this give us the confidence to keep working toward our goal," said Marcelinho.

Cheering with the nation from start to finish, Marcelinho praised the support from the stands and expressed his gratitude. "These fans are incredible. Almost four thousand people at a match on December 30th at 14 pm, they cheered us on the whole time. We felt very supported and comfortable. I've been at Flamengo for eleven years and I always say that when we look up at the stands and they don't stop singing, we draw strength from places we couldn't even imagine. They deserve a lot of credit for the celebration and support," he praised.

Now FlaBasquete has a few days to prepare for the next challenge. Once again at Arena Carioca 1, Mais Querido hosts Pinheiros on Sunday (7), at 18 pm.

The basketball teams of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo receive funding from their sponsors – thinkseg, Estácio, AmBev, Rede D'or, IRB Brasil RE, CSN, Brasil Plural, and EY – via the Federal Incentive Law/Ministry of Sports (IR) and the State Incentive Law/Rio de Janeiro State Secretariat of Sports, Recreation, and Youth (Seelje), in addition to support from the Brazilian Club Committee (CBC) resulting from the decentralization of resources from the Pelé Law. The Anjo da Guarda Rubro-Negro Project, a personal tax transfer, benefits all Olympic sports of the Most Beloved.