Author: Monojit Mandal
Minas 103 – 89 Franca
The 123 Minas basketball team defeated Sesi Franca 103-89 in the second game of the NBB playoffs at the UniBH Arena. With this decisive victory, the home team leveled the best-of-five series, which led to a suspenseful fourth game to determine the winner. In the first match, Franca won 112-98 at the Pedroco Gymnasium.
The game’s most outstanding player was Minas’ point guard Johnson Sr., who led all scorers with 34 points and eight assists. On Franca’s side, wing/pivot Lucas Dias led the way with 22 points, while point guard Georginho contributed 14 assists and seven rebounds.
The two teams will meet again on Thursday at 7.30pm (Brasília time), this time in Minas Gerais. With the series now tied, a win for either team would not guarantee a place in the final, but would bring them one step closer. The action will be broadcast live on ESPN and the STAR+ streaming service.
Minas showed their control from the start, opening the game with a surprising 11-0 run in the first few minutes in front of their home crowd. Despite Franca’s attempt to recover, which reduced the gap to three points, Minas responded quickly, ending the first quarter with a 29-18 lead.
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The second quarter was marked by a fierce duel between the two teams. Minas took control and scored first, but Franca found their rhythm again at the end of the quarter, tying the score at 28-28. Lucas Dias was key for Franca, hitting all eight of his shots. Minas, on the other hand, maintained their lead from the first quarter and went into the break with a 57-46 advantage.
Minas opened the second half strong once again in the third quarter. Franca, on the other hand, recovered and showed greater efficiency, winning the quarter 24-21 and reducing the gap to eight points (78-70). Unfortunately for Franca, they couldn’t maintain the same level of effort in the final quarter. Minas, on the other hand, relied on a great performance from Johnson Sr., who hit all 13 of his shots. With a strong performance, Minas ended the fourth quarter with a score of 25-19, achieving a resounding victory and tying the series.