WATCH LIVE (WITH IMAGES) FLAMENGO

Flamengo and Franca will face each other again this Sunday (1), at 11 am, at Ginásio Pedrocão, for Game 4 of the NBB semifinals. With a 2-1 lead in the series, FlaBasquete has the chance to close the match away from home and secure a place in the grand final of the competition.

One of the team's standout players and a candidate for championship MVP , point guard Alexey Borges reinforced the importance of concentration in the quest for victory. After the 86-75 victory in Game 3, he praised collective strength as the red-and-black team's trump card.

We still need one more..."

“I had good shots, Ruan was decisive at the end, Jordan had great moments , Gui too . It shows the strength of the team. It is an important victory, but we still need one more. We will go for it in Franca”, he said.

In the opening game of the series, Flamengo had already won at Pedrocão by 107 to 93, with a dominant performance. The defeat in Game 2, at Maracanãzinho, prevented the sweep , but Sergio 'Oveja' Hernández's team remains the favorite to advance to the final.

If Franca wins this Sunday, the series will be decided in a single game in Rio de Janeiro, next Tuesday (3), at Tijuca Tênis Clube. Mengão hopes to repeat the record of the previous stages , where they closed against Caxias and Corinthians in game 4.

NEXT OPPONENT WILL BE MINAS

Whoever advances from the match between Flamengo and Franca will face Minas in the NBB final. The Minas Gerais team, which had the best campaign in the first phase of the competition, secured its spot by sweeping Bauru 3-0.

SEMIFINALS SCHEDULE – FLAMENGO X FRANCA

• Game 1: Franca 93x107 Flamengo – 24/5 (Saturday)
• Game 2: Flamengo 78x85 Franca – 27/5 (Tuesday)
• Game 3: Flamengo 86x75 Franca – 29/5 (Thursday)
• Game 4: 1/6 (Sunday), 11am – Pedrocão (sportv, FlaTV+ and NBB BasquetPass)
• Game 5 (if necessary): 3/6 (Tuesday), Tijuca Tennis Club

FLAMENGO IN SEARCH OF THE TRIPLE CROWN

Champion of the Super 8 Cup and the Champions League of the Americas , Flamengo aims to win the national treble with the NBB title. The club is the league's biggest winner, with seven trophies, and is trying to return to the top after three seasons. The continental conquest also guaranteed FlaBasquete a place in the 2025 FIBA Club World Cup , which will be played in Singapore, between September 18 and 21.

After the 86-75 victory over Franca, last Thursday (29), at Tijuca Tênis Clube, Flamengo coach Sergio Hernandez made a point of pointing out defensive flaws that, according to him, need to be corrected immediately. Even with the triumph, which left Rubro-Negro one victory away from the final of the New Basketball Brazil (NBB), the Argentine coach adopted a critical tone in the post-game interview.

When evaluating the team's performance, Oveja expressed concern about the way Flamengo behaved in defense. " In these two games, we defended Franca's tactical idea well and they played very one-on-one. In the second game, we had a lot of problems, sending them to the line 30 times," lamented the coach, referring to the high number of free throws conceded to the opponent.

WATCH ABOUT IMBALANCES

Hernandez's dissatisfaction also extended to rebounds and marking in individual plays. " Today there were a lot of one-on-one baskets, a lot of offensive rebounds. We have to improve that," said the Argentine coach, emphasizing that, although the team neutralized the opponent's main options, it still suffers from plays generated by positioning errors and lack of attention.

Even with Flamengo growing in the last quarter and imposing a 26-14 victory over Franca, the coach showed himself focused on correcting the weaknesses. “ We are defending the main options well , but the driving situations, attacking the basket and offensive rebounds are creating problems for us”, he explained, revealing the demanding mentality that he intends to carry until the end of the competition.

FLAMENGO WILL HAVE A NEW CHANCE

With the semifinal series at 2-1 for Flamengo , the next duel takes place this Sunday (1st), at the Pedrocão gym, in Franca. A victory puts Flamengo in the NBB 2025 final. If the São Paulo team wins, a fifth and decisive game will be necessary.

Flamengo returns to the courts this Sunday (1st) to face Franca , in game 4 of the NBB semifinals, at the Pedrocão gym. The red-black team from Rio de Janeiro won game 3 by 86 to 75, and will look for the victory to qualify for the final. In game 1, away from home, Flamengo won: 107 to 93. In game 2, they lost by 85 to 78. The best-of-five series is 2 to 1 for Rubro-Negro.

Where to watch Franca x Flamengo

There are three options to watch the game between Franca x Flamengo for game 4 of the NBB semifinal: SporTV, FlaTV+ and NBB Basquet Pass.

SporTV is a closed channel . In other words, your access depends on your subscription package. NBB Basquet Pass is a streaming platform (Check it out) .

On the other hand, to watch on FlaTV+, fans will have to subscribe to the club's package (See).

Departure time

The match at Pedrocão will be at 11 am (Brasília time).

How was FlaBasquete's last game in the NBB?

Flamengo beat Franca 86-75 away from home in game 3 of the NBB semifinals. After a balanced start, Fla opened up an advantage, but lost momentum due to the rotation. Franca then reacted and turned the score around in the first quarter.

In the second half, Flamengo regained the lead. The third period was marked by Franca's fluctuations and dominance in offensive rebounds. In the last quarter, Alexey shone and secured the victory with a decisive performance.