Olivinha chooses concentration and defense as focal points to seek a comeback in the NBB final series
The FlaBasquete captain spoke to the Official Website about his expectations for the upcoming matches against Franca, at Maracanãzinho.
By Isabela Abirached and Helena Petry - inFlaBasquete is fighting for its eighth title in the New Basketball Brazil (NBB). After the first game of the best-of-five final series, which ended with Franca winning at the Pedrocão gymnasium, the red-and-black team is preparing for the next two matches, which will be at home, at Maracanãzinho.
The Pride of the Nation returned from the interior of São Paulo on Sunday, returned to activities in Gávea on Monday (30) and, on the morning of this Tuesday (31), trained in the gym that will be the stage for games 2 and 3 of the decision, on Thursday (2) and Saturday (4), at 19:15 pm and 16:10 pm, respectively. With six NBB titles under his belt, all defending the Sacred Mantle, captain Olivinha analyzed the defeat to the Franca team last Saturday (28).
"I think we had a good performance in the first game, but in a championship final, we can't just switch off, have a blackout. That can make things difficult for us, and that's what happened in the second quarter. We had three good quarters, very even, but unfortunately, in the second period, Franca's team won 21-12. That's when they managed to open up a good lead in the game. We had a chance to turn it around, and we even tied it, but they opened up again," said the power forward, who pointed out the way to turn the series around: concentration and focus on defense.
"We have to keep our heads clear and focused throughout the four quarters of the game. It's difficult, we have ups and downs, but we have to control ourselves to minimize those bad moments during the match. I think that's what we have to improve for games 2 and 3 at home: staying focused for the full 40 minutes and being very dedicated on defense. I think we have a great chance, and we've been working toward that goal over the last few days," concluded Olivinha.
Tickets
Tickets for the games in Rio are on sale, starting at R$20, at flamengo.superingresso.com.brThere is also a combo option with tickets for both matches, costing R$15 per match (half-price).
Watch on Mengão channels
The next duels in this final series will be broadcast, free of charge, live and with images, on FlaTV +, the official Mengão streaming service, on FlaTV, Flamengo's YouTube channel, and on the Rubro-Negro's official profile on Facebook.
The basketball teams of Clube de Regatas do Flamengo rely on resources from their sponsors – BRB, MOSS, TIM, AmBev, Rede D'or, IRB Brasil RE, CSN, Brasil Plural, EY – via the Federal Incentive Law/Ministry of Sports (IR) and State Incentive Law/State Secretariat of Sports, Leisure and Youth (Seelje) of Rio de Janeiro, in addition to support from the Brazilian Committee of Clubs (CBC).