Flamengo's victory over Paulistano this Thursday (May 02nd), in a quarterfinal match of the Novo Basquete Brasil, came the way Flamengo fans love: with a lot of determination. Flamengo spent most of the game, in a packed Tijuca Tênis Clube gymnasium, trailing. Until the third quarter, with the clock already running out, Bruno Zanotti hit a three-point shot that put José Neto's team exactly three points ahead of Paulistano. From then on, it was a struggle until the end, but Flamengo never trailed again, and their fans put on a show at home. With President Eduardo Bandeira de Mello and officials in the stands, Flamengo secured the victory, 05-80.

"In the first half, we weren't able to maintain consistency on defense, which really compromised our offense. In the second half, we managed to get back into the game and got the fans on the court with us. We turned the score around and came out with the win, which is very important in this series," said forward Marquinhos, the game's top scorer with 19 points, after the game.

Marquinhos spoke well. It felt like the fans were on the court. He was Flamengo's sixth player. His unconditional support was crucial for the Mais Querido squad to have the strength to fight until the end.

"The fans were crucial to the comeback. This exchange of energy has been happening since the beginning of the championship. The packed gym gives us the feeling of being unbeatable," said point guard Duda, who received a standing ovation from the fans when he was replaced in the third quarter by Benite and left the game to a standing ovation and chants of "Olê olê olê olá, Duda, Duda."

Marcelinho, who usually appears on the court, was another player cheering from the stands this Thursday night. The point guard is still not in optimal playing condition due to a right knee injury he suffered in 2012 and is undergoing an intense recovery process under the supervision of the club's medical professionals.

"Flamengo showed that they are one of the biggest names in this championship. With great awareness, we did what we had to do and turned the game around. For me, it's very difficult to be off the court. I've been training really hard every day and this is the only thing I can do to help at this moment: try to recover and return as soon as possible," said Marcelinho.

The two teams will face each other again this Saturday (04.05), at the Tijuca Tênis Clube gym, and tickets can be purchased onlineIt's another opportunity for the Red-Black Nation to show they make a difference. If Flamengo wins, they'll close out the series against Paulistano at 3-0 and secure their spot in one of the NBB semifinals.