Pecos shines with 20 points and Flamengo ends its tour in the South with another victory
Rubro-Negro beats Caxias in a gym with four thousand fans and continues the fight for the top of the table
By Lucas Dantas - Flamengo Communications - in
The Southern adventure ends with an extremely positive result. FlaBasquete defeated Caxias do Sul on Thursday night by 98-75, maintaining its top spot in the standings, successfully closing the road trip, and now turning its attention to Thursday's big game in Rio against Franca at Arena Carioca 1.
Get your tickets for next Thursday's big game by clicking here. Flamengo vs. Franca, at Arena Carioca 1. Grandstands start at R$10 and courtside seats start at R$50.
Completely superior, Flamengo made its greatest strengths count against its opponent, who played a very tough game at home in front of more than three thousand passionate fans from Rio Grande do Sul. But on an inspired night from Arthur Pecos (20 points, two rebounds, and four assists), the Mais Querido (the most beloved team) ended up with a fair victory. Anderson Varejão, increasingly in sync with his teammates, scored 15 points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out three assists. Marcelinho, Marquinhos, and Olivinha also surpassed 10 points (11, 12, and 12, respectively), contributing to the high final tally.
For coach José Neto, Flamengo behaved like a team today, holding off their rivals and thus coming out with the victory.
"I think we played well today. Flamengo showed they can play a strong defense, as they did in the first half. In the second half, I think we fell behind. But the team deserves congratulations. We have a lot of respect for our opponent, who is having a great championship, but we gave our all. We have a squad with good players, but to win the championship, we need them to be a good team," said the coach after the game.
With 84,2% success rate, Rubro-Negro has the same campaign as Paulistano, who plays this Friday, against Mogi, at home.
The game
The first quarter was decided by Flamengo's three-pointers. Marquinhos, Marcelinho, and Ramon all scored from distance at crucial moments, allowing the team to gain some traction. Marquinhos was the star of the first 10 minutes, with seven points, two rebounds, and two assists, and Flamengo closed with a 23-11 lead after a basket by Olivinha, assisted by Ramon.
The second quarter began with Varejão on the board. But the break came with a flurry of three-pointers from Pecos, Olivinha, and Marcelinho, leading to a 24-point lead (45-21). The defense also shut down their rivals. Olivinha, Pecos, and Cubillan combined for 20 points, bringing Flamengo to a 55-28 lead.
In the second half, Caxias came out on top with their fans behind them and played hard. The half ended with the red-and-blacks ahead 19-18, but showed that their opponents wouldn't give up easily. Caxias didn't score any three-pointers, but the points distribution was good, with eight players scoring and keeping the lead at around 30 at the end, finishing the half 73-43.
With the score practically sealed, Flamengo had to hold on until the end. Pecos scored 10 points, Varejão scored nine, and both were free on the court, leading the team to another victory in the NBB.
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.
Get your tickets for next Thursday's big game by clicking here. Flamengo vs. Franca, at Arena Carioca 1. Grandstands start at R$10 and courtside seats start at R$50.
Completely superior, Flamengo made its greatest strengths count against its opponent, who played a very tough game at home in front of more than three thousand passionate fans from Rio Grande do Sul. But on an inspired night from Arthur Pecos (20 points, two rebounds, and four assists), the Mais Querido (the most beloved team) ended up with a fair victory. Anderson Varejão, increasingly in sync with his teammates, scored 15 points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out three assists. Marcelinho, Marquinhos, and Olivinha also surpassed 10 points (11, 12, and 12, respectively), contributing to the high final tally.
For coach José Neto, Flamengo behaved like a team today, holding off their rivals and thus coming out with the victory.
"I think we played well today. Flamengo showed they can play a strong defense, as they did in the first half. In the second half, I think we fell behind. But the team deserves congratulations. We have a lot of respect for our opponent, who is having a great championship, but we gave our all. We have a squad with good players, but to win the championship, we need them to be a good team," said the coach after the game.
With 84,2% success rate, Rubro-Negro has the same campaign as Paulistano, who plays this Friday, against Mogi, at home.
The game
The first quarter was decided by Flamengo's three-pointers. Marquinhos, Marcelinho, and Ramon all scored from distance at crucial moments, allowing the team to gain some traction. Marquinhos was the star of the first 10 minutes, with seven points, two rebounds, and two assists, and Flamengo closed with a 23-11 lead after a basket by Olivinha, assisted by Ramon.
The second quarter began with Varejão on the board. But the break came with a flurry of three-pointers from Pecos, Olivinha, and Marcelinho, leading to a 24-point lead (45-21). The defense also shut down their rivals. Olivinha, Pecos, and Cubillan combined for 20 points, bringing Flamengo to a 55-28 lead.
In the second half, Caxias came out on top with their fans behind them and played hard. The half ended with the red-and-blacks ahead 19-18, but showed that their opponents wouldn't give up easily. Caxias didn't score any three-pointers, but the points distribution was good, with eight players scoring and keeping the lead at around 30 at the end, finishing the half 73-43.
With the score practically sealed, Flamengo had to hold on until the end. Pecos scored 10 points, Varejão scored nine, and both were free on the court, leading the team to another victory in the NBB.
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.