THE BALL WILL GO UP! FIND OUT EVERYTHING ABOUT THE GAME BETWEEN FLABASQUETE X MOGI DAS CRUZES ON NBB

Flabasquete showed strength again this Tuesday (30) by beating Pato Basquete 95 to 64, at Arena BRB Nilson Nelson, in Brasília, in the second round of the NBB Opening Tournament. The result guaranteed Rubro-Negro the leadership of Group B and classification for the semifinal of the competition.

With the victory, the Rio de Janeiro team will face Unión Santa Fé, from Argentina, this Thursday (2), at 5:30 pm. The match will have a special ingredient: the reunion of the red-black fans with the Argentine point guard Franco Balbi , ex-Flamengo and idol of the club.

ALEX NEGRETE SHINES

The star of the night was shooting guard Alex Negrete, who led the team with 25 points and 7 rebounds, leading the game. After the game, he emphasized the importance of collective performance and the work done alongside his teammates.

"I'm very happy with the result, with the performance we played. We're working hard together as a team. I believe we're doing things well , but we'll continue to focus on improving to reach the level we aspire to," said the Argentine.

Negrete also commented on adapting to the playing style of coach Sergio Hernandez , with whom he shares a nationality. According to him, the coach has prioritized a fast, vertical pace, which favors his characteristics on the court.

FLAMENGO AGENDA

With two wins in two games, Flamengo ends the group stage as undefeated leader and is already planning its next challenges. The semifinal against Unión Santa Fé takes place on Thursday (2), at 5:30 pm. If they advance, the team will return to the court on Saturday (4) for the final. If they lose, they will play for third place.

Flabasquete began its participation in the NBB Opening Tournament with a victory over Fortaleza by 87 to 71, on Monday night (29), at Arena BRB Nilson Nelson, in Brasília. The victory marks a good start in the pre-season competition and highlights the team's initial rapport.

Point guard Alex Negrete led the team with 18 points . Alexey Borges also stood out with 16 points and 7 assists, while power forward Kayo Gonçalves contributed 12 points and 4 rebounds.

ENGAGEMENT AND PREPARATION

After the match, Kayo Gonçalves emphasized the importance of the tournament for the squad's chemistry and cohesion. " This tournament will be very important for us to get some experience, to have more contact with the game. It's extremely important for us coming off the World Cup, which was a different kind of preparation ," he said before concluding.

" We're going to use these games to get to know each other better on the court and build the chemistry that will lead us to better results when the season starts ," said the Flamengo power forward.

FLAMENGO'S NEXT CHALLENGE

Flamengo returns to the court this Tuesday (30), at 5:30 pm, to face Pato Basquete, again at Arena BRB Nilson Nelson. Just like the debut, entry will be free and the broadcast will be provided by Metrópoles, on YouTube.

Flabasquete debuts this Monday (29) in the NBB Opening Tournament, a competition that marks the pre-season of national basketball. Rubro-Negro faces Fortaleza at 8 pm, at Arena BRB Nilson Nelson, in Brasília , with free entry for fans and exclusive broadcast on Metrópoles' YouTube channel.

Next, Flamengo returns to the court this Tuesday (30), at 5:30 pm, to face Pato Basquete, also in Brasília. In its second edition, the NBB Opening Tournament has the participation of 12 teams , organized into four groups with three teams each. In the initial phase, the matches are played in a single round.

The group leaders advance to the title game , while the second-place teams play for 5th through 8th place. Third-place teams compete for 9th through 12th place. This means each team is guaranteed at least four matches, regardless of their final standings.

COACH HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TOURNAMENT

The club's coach, Sérgio Hernandez , emphasized the importance of the competition in the preparation process for the New Basketball Brazil. " It's a great opportunity for us to compete in this competition . Each team is guaranteed four games, regardless of their position in the first phase. And that's perfect; it's ideal for the stage of preparation we're in," the coach stated.

He also emphasized that the competition contributes to the team's collective development: " We're coming off an extremely tough start to the season, like the Club World Cup . Now we're entering a reality that's a little more similar to what we'll experience in the NBB. This will allow us to continue maturing as a team, both through the games we'll play, the training sessions we'll have there, and the week-long experience together. All of this will contribute significantly to the team's growth," he added.