Author: Monojit Mandal
Franca 81 – 86 São Paulo
In a thrilling game at the Pedroco Gymnasium in Franca, the São Paulo basketball team ended Franca’s chances of winning the championship for the second time by winning 86-81 on Thursday (6/8). The game drew a large crowd in the city of Franca, which added to the tension. With this important victory, São Paulo maintain their lead in the fight for the unprecedented title of the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB).
São Paulo’s best previous finish in the NBB was runner-up in the 2020/21 season, when they were beaten by Flamengo, the tournament’s most successful team with seven trophies. Thursday’s win leveled the finals series at 2-2.
São Paulo entered the arena unperturbed by the noisy crowd at Pedroco and soon created a ten-point lead in the first quarter, ending it at 34-24, partly due to Ansaloni’s excellent performance. Elinho Corazza, the playmaker, also impressed with his strong rebounding and excellent passing.
In the second quarter, there was a turnaround in fortunes, with the game tighter, resulting in more mistakes from São Paulo. Frustration grew as the team’s shooting attempts went awry, resulting in just eight points. Franca took advantage of São Paulo’s mistakes, with Lucas Mariano and American newcomer David Jackson playing important roles in their attempt to level the score.
São Paulo won the first game 98-88, but Franca managed to turn things around, winning the next two games 88-80 and 94-92. The series will be decided in the fifth game, which is scheduled for this Saturday (10/6) at 3pm at the Pedroco Gymnasium in Franca. The NBB title will be determined by the result of this final match.
São Paulo power forward Ralfi Ansaloni dominated the court as the game’s top scorer on Thursday, finishing with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Ansaloni acknowledged the difficulty created by the rebounds after the game, but emphasized his team’s ability to overcome this, resulting in a very tight match. He stressed that the final is a game of details, with no clear favorite, and that the result will be decided by the team that shows the most attention, treating each possession as if it were a matter of life and death.