Without Coloneze, Flamengo faces Assis at Arena HSBC
Reserves shone in the victory over Bauru and the team seeks its third consecutive victory in the NBB
By From the official website team with basketball advice - in
Another São Paulo team faces off. Assis Basket is Flamengo's new challenge in the qualifying round of the Novo Basquete Brasil. The game, the tenth for the current two-time national champions in the competition, will be held this Sunday at 11 a.m. at the HSBC Arena, a gymnasium in Barra da Tijuca.
The biggest loss is Coloneze, who is expected to be out for approximately 45 days. On Friday, when Flamengo beat Bauru 107-90, also at Arena HSBC, the center left the court in the first quarter, feeling severe pain in his left knee. The initial prognosis from Flamengo's medical department, while still on the court, didn't seem very encouraging. But after an MRI on Saturday, physical therapist Ricardo Machado confirmed that the injury isn't serious.
"Fortunately, the player only suffered a partial tear of the anterior cruciate ligament and will not require surgery, which would be necessary if the tear were complete. The player will have to wear an immobilizer for two weeks and then undergo strengthening for three or four weeks to be able to return to the court," explained Machado.
The victory over Bauru - Judging by Friday's performance, fans can expect a strong match. In the victory over Bauru, Flamengo showed that it doesn't rely solely on its starting five to fight for its third title. With wingers Duda and Jefferson having a lackluster night and without Colonese, who left the court injured in the first quarter, it was up to captain Marcelinho and reserves Guilherme Teichmann and Dedé to lead the team's sixth victory in the competition. With the victory, Paulo Chupeta's team moved up to fifth place with six wins and three losses.
After a poor first quarter and significantly below-par performance, Flamengo improved in the second period with the introduction of Teichmann and Wagner. The team opened up an eleven-point lead, but went into halftime leading 49-41. The next ten minutes were their best. With Fred on the court, Flamengo improved in defense and pace. In addition to scoring a three-pointer, the point guard managed to stop American Larry, Bauru's main playmaker. Teichmann and Dedé also shone in the period, and Flamengo was up by 15 points.
The deficit remained until the final six minutes, when the São Paulo team staged a comeback and reduced the deficit to just five. That's when forwards Marcelinho and Dedé made the difference. The former didn't miss a beat until he left the game with five fouls and 6 points with less than three minutes remaining. Dedé, meanwhile, showed he's fully recovered from a right hand injury by scoring two three-pointers, enough to secure a healthy lead for Flamengo.
Despite the lack of match rhythm, Dedé was happy to have helped the team at an important moment in the match.
"For someone who hadn't played in over a month, I think I played a good game and helped the team get another win. The most important thing is that I felt good on the court and my hand didn't bother me at all," said the winger.
Marcelinho, who played his third match after more than 40 days out, knows he is still far from his ideal form, but praised the strength of the red-black squad.
"I still feel stuck when it comes to making certain movements, but I'm gradually regaining that with the rhythm of the game. The most important thing is that I helped the team win, and Flamengo showed they have a very strong squad. Dedé came on very well and ended up being decisive," praised the Flamengo captain.
According to Marcelinho, coach Paulo Chupeta also highlighted the importance of the defensive system, which was trained exhaustively throughout the week.
"Of course, at times we let our marking slip, but overall we had very good defensive concentration. Duda wasn't at his best, but Dedé had a great game and showed that everyone is important at Flamengo."
The biggest loss is Coloneze, who is expected to be out for approximately 45 days. On Friday, when Flamengo beat Bauru 107-90, also at Arena HSBC, the center left the court in the first quarter, feeling severe pain in his left knee. The initial prognosis from Flamengo's medical department, while still on the court, didn't seem very encouraging. But after an MRI on Saturday, physical therapist Ricardo Machado confirmed that the injury isn't serious.
"Fortunately, the player only suffered a partial tear of the anterior cruciate ligament and will not require surgery, which would be necessary if the tear were complete. The player will have to wear an immobilizer for two weeks and then undergo strengthening for three or four weeks to be able to return to the court," explained Machado.
The victory over Bauru - Judging by Friday's performance, fans can expect a strong match. In the victory over Bauru, Flamengo showed that it doesn't rely solely on its starting five to fight for its third title. With wingers Duda and Jefferson having a lackluster night and without Colonese, who left the court injured in the first quarter, it was up to captain Marcelinho and reserves Guilherme Teichmann and Dedé to lead the team's sixth victory in the competition. With the victory, Paulo Chupeta's team moved up to fifth place with six wins and three losses.
After a poor first quarter and significantly below-par performance, Flamengo improved in the second period with the introduction of Teichmann and Wagner. The team opened up an eleven-point lead, but went into halftime leading 49-41. The next ten minutes were their best. With Fred on the court, Flamengo improved in defense and pace. In addition to scoring a three-pointer, the point guard managed to stop American Larry, Bauru's main playmaker. Teichmann and Dedé also shone in the period, and Flamengo was up by 15 points.
The deficit remained until the final six minutes, when the São Paulo team staged a comeback and reduced the deficit to just five. That's when forwards Marcelinho and Dedé made the difference. The former didn't miss a beat until he left the game with five fouls and 6 points with less than three minutes remaining. Dedé, meanwhile, showed he's fully recovered from a right hand injury by scoring two three-pointers, enough to secure a healthy lead for Flamengo.
Despite the lack of match rhythm, Dedé was happy to have helped the team at an important moment in the match.
"For someone who hadn't played in over a month, I think I played a good game and helped the team get another win. The most important thing is that I felt good on the court and my hand didn't bother me at all," said the winger.
Marcelinho, who played his third match after more than 40 days out, knows he is still far from his ideal form, but praised the strength of the red-black squad.
"I still feel stuck when it comes to making certain movements, but I'm gradually regaining that with the rhythm of the game. The most important thing is that I helped the team win, and Flamengo showed they have a very strong squad. Dedé came on very well and ended up being decisive," praised the Flamengo captain.
According to Marcelinho, coach Paulo Chupeta also highlighted the importance of the defensive system, which was trained exhaustively throughout the week.
"Of course, at times we let our marking slip, but overall we had very good defensive concentration. Duda wasn't at his best, but Dedé had a great game and showed that everyone is important at Flamengo."