Author: Monojit Mandal
AZ Basquete Araraquara advanced to the semi-finals of the Brazilian Basketball Championship after defeating Praia Clube/Gabarito-MG from Uberlândia-MG. The thrilling 80-79 victory at the Praia Clube Gymnasium in Uberlândia-MG last weekend brought the team a step closer to their ultimate goal of securing a place in the famous Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB), the country’s premier basketball event.
The game ended a best-of-three series in the quarter-finals of the national competition, which is organized by the Brazilian Basketball Confederation (CBB) and awards two coveted spots in the NBB. With the series tied at one game apiece, the suspense was intense as both teams fought tooth and nail for the chance to advance.
The interaction culminated in an exciting finale. The score remained 79-79 until the last 9 seconds, when Nezinho launched a quick counter-attack, resulting in a foul on Rafael Stabile. Stabile converted one of his two free throw attempts, giving AZ Basquete Araraquara a one-point lead. Despite a last-gasp attack from the home side, Araraquara’s defensive capabilities held firm to secure a hard-earned victory.
Pajé’s excellent effort, which included 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists, was key to Araraquara’s victory. AZ Araraquara had won the first two games of the series, with an 80-77 victory in Giganto and a 79-77 defeat in Uberlândia.
Sunday’s fights increased the intensity of the competition, as two more teams qualified for the semi-finals. Liga Sorocabana defeated Brusque Basquete 61-56 to close out the series with a 2-1 lead. Meanwhile, in Itatiaiuçu, Cruzeiro Basquete and Basquete Osasco faced each other, with the former winning in a tight game that needed extra time. Raposa maintained their home-court advantage, winning both games in Minas by 78-72 and advancing to the semi-finals.
The format of this year’s Final Four will change. The four surviving teams will battle it out in a quadrangular competition instead of the usual semi-finals and finals. From June 8 to 10, all four teams will compete in a round-robin style, with the venue to be determined by the CBB after the quarter-finals.
In another series, Santos Basquete now lead Blumenau 1-0 and have the chance to win the game. Blumenau, on the other hand, want to win and force a crucial match 3 on the 30th to keep their title hopes alive.