Author: Monojit Mandal
Minas Gerais defeated Flamengo by a final score of 87-70 in a much-anticipated clash at the start of the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB) season. Flamengo’s upcoming friendly against Orlando Magic on the 20th motivated the game, which was played before the start of the official NBB campaign. The incredible precision and collaboration shown by Minas in their shooting and passing game was the decisive element in their victory. Felipe Vezaro led all scorers with 16 points, followed by Alexandre Paranhos with 15. Nicolás Copello and Franco Baralle, in particular, coordinated 14 of Minas’ 25 assists, demonstrating their excellent playmaking ability.
Minas showed their skill early on, gaining the lead in the first quarter. Felipe Vezaro’s excellent performance put the team ahead early on. Flamengo’s determined defense, led by Rafael Mineiro and Gemerson, prevented the score from increasing. A three-pointer from Hungary’s Marko Filipovity, assisted by Scott Machado, temporarily gave the home team the lead, 27-26.
When Minas won possession in the second quarter, the story took an unexpected turn. Vezaro made a three-pointer early on, followed by Nicolás Copello, increasing the lead to 32-27. Alexandre Paranhos then made a spectacular play, scoring a basket, getting fouled and hitting a free throw to put Minas ahead 35-27.
It took Flamengo almost four minutes to break Minas’ momentum, with Franco Balbi putting points on the board for the Rio club. Minas’ lead was increased to nine points by Chuzito González. Franco Baralle was one of the main contributors to Minas’ offensive output, scoring five points in a row just before halftime. Minas took the teams to the locker rooms with a score of 53-41.
When Flamengo came back from the break, the situation in their opening game in the NBB had become even more dangerous, as Minas continued to flourish in attack. Baralle hit another three-pointer, bringing the score to 60-43. However, Balbi and Didi Louzada sparked a reaction from the home team, drastically reducing the points gap. Even so, Minas stood firm, with Rafael Mineiro grabbing an offensive rebound and scoring a crucial basket to increase Minas’ lead to 71-56. Flamengo were unable to respond to Minas’ efficient attack, despite their best attempts. Minas’ lead grew to 74-59 after Vezaro’s three-pointer.
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Minas put in an exceptional performance in the final quarter, leaving Flamengo coach Gustavo de Conti searching for answers that never materialized. While the visitors maintained a remarkable 50% shooting percentage, Flamengo’s accuracy was much lower at 22%. Maique reduced the margin to 16 points with just over four minutes remaining. However, Minas, led by the team from Belo Horizonte, masterfully controlled the pace of the game and won the game.
Flamengo will play Pato Basquete next Sunday at 11 a.m. (Brasília time) before leaving for the United States. The Goat Channel will broadcast the match on YouTube. Minas Gerais imposed themselves strongly against Flamengo in a game that defied expectations, setting the stage for an exciting NBB season.