Precise and efficient, Flamengo confirms its favoritism and goes to the final
FlaBasquete crushes Niterói, closes the series and now faces Botafogo in the final
By Lucas Dantas - in
Niterói Basquete came out looking to force a third game. But FlaBasquete wanted to end the streak and used their home court, ability, strength, team spirit, experience, and talent to win the match and secure a spot in the final. Thursday night's game ended 113-55, the team's highest score in the competition, and delighted fans at the Hélio Maurício gymnasium in Gávea. Now, Flamengo faces Botafogo in the final, also in a best-of-three format, on a date and location yet to be determined. Mengão is seeking its 13th consecutive title and its 44th in history.
Marquinhos led all scorers with 19 points. Also shining were Olivinha, who notched another career double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds; Rafael Mineiro, who had 15 points and six rebounds; and Kevin Crescenzi, who showed he was fully recovered, scoring 12 points, grabbing five rebounds, and dishing out seven assists in 15 minutes on the court.
The game started off tough for Flamengo, with Niterói taking a 5-0 lead. But before the first four minutes of the match, the Mais Querido had already turned the score around to 11-7, which they maintained until the end, at 21-19, but without breaking away from the scoreboard.
It was in the second quarter that the game turned Flamengo's way. With Jhonatan hitting two three-pointers and being joined by Marquinhos and Olivinha on long shots, FlaBasquete surged forward and quickly took a 34-19 lead three minutes into the quarter. The lead only grew, and by the end, at 50-26, the game was sealed.
The following quarters confirmed the match. Niterói was valiant, and its players tried to close the gap. But the technical distance between the teams and Gustavo De Conti's team's determination to use the match to further cement their chemistry and showcase their firepower crushed any rivals' hopes.
With five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Olivinha scored his 113th point with a beautiful three-pointer, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Rafael Mineiro sealed the deal, and the 55-XNUMX score, considering the other matches played between the two teams, wasn't an exaggeration. It simply confirmed a truth on the court.
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.