Jece on Davaunta Thomas absence, Corinthians' strength after NBB semi draw | OneFootball

Corinthians gave an important response in the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB) semifinal by beating Pinheiros 98-84 on the night of last Wednesday (21) at Wlamir Marques Gymnasium, leveling the best-of-five series at 1-1. Besides the positive result in front of the Fiel, the game also marked the black-and-white squad’s ability to overcome an important absence: Davaunta Thomas.

One of Timão’s main names this season, the American shooting guard/small forward was left out of the lineup for the matchup due to a back problem. After the win, coach Jece Leite explained the player’s physical condition and said he had already been playing through pain since the opening game of the semifinal at Henrique Villaboim Gymnasium.

Photo: Beto Miller

“Back problem. His back kind of locked up. He was already in pain in the first game. That’s the expectation (that he returns for Game 3). He’s being treated, under Bruno’s care, with specialists for back issues. We’ll see what it is,” the coach said in the mixed zone.

Even without Thomas, Corinthians managed to control most of the game and showed a very different attitude compared to the first meeting in the series, when they were beaten 95-65. Jece Leite highlighted exactly the group’s ability to respond in difficult moments.

“At some moments in the season, we’ve had similar situations, losing someone. Or sometimes you kind of lose a guy even when he’s there, but he’s just not having a good day, something unusual. It’s their unity, one making up for the other, one having the other’s back. So, everyone is prepared, everyone knows they might get the chance to play more minutes”, he commented.

The coach also highlighted the roster’s maturity in dealing with tactical changes and individual sacrifices during the season.

“Sometimes you have to sacrifice someone because of a tactical plan you need to put on the court. But their mindset is very good, it’s just a lot of noise”, he added.

Even though he missed the second game of the semifinal, Davaunta Thomas remains one of the most important pieces in Corinthians’ NBB campaign. The American is averaging 15.8 points per game and was decisive in the quarterfinals against Minas, when he finished the series averaging 23.5 points and four rebounds per game.

Besides explaining the absence of number 5, Jece Leite analyzed Corinthians’ change in attitude in the second semifinal game. According to the coach, the team managed to rediscover the defensive intensity and energy that marked the black-and-white side’s campaign in the final stretch of the regular season and in the playoffs.

“It’s one day at a time, one game at a time, one step at a time, and that step was a good one. Pinheiros did what they did in the championship. They were up there for a long time at the top, we had our merits too, qualifying the way we did, reaching the (Super 8) Cup, which we hadn’t done, and they grew at the right time,” he assessed.

Jece also pointed out that Corinthians managed to impose its rhythm from the start of the game, unlike what happened in the first meeting.

“In the first game we couldn’t, they neutralized that from us. Today we managed to impose our rhythm. They came back into the game, which is what they do, they’re never going to give up”, he said.

Another point mentioned by the coach was the team’s physical approach in battles inside the paint, a factor that had been heavily criticized after the defeat in the first game.

“That’s our ideal, which is what we did, especially in the final stretch of the second half of the regular season heading into the playoffs, we really came in with that energy. So that’s the energy we have to look for. We may even make mistakes in other areas, but we have to show willingness, go there and grab the rebound”, he explained.

During the game, Corinthians built a comfortable lead on the scoreboard in the first half. After the break, Pinheiros reacted and cut the deficit, but Timão managed to keep control of the game thanks to the strength of its rotation.

“Ever since basketball has been basketball, when there’s that kind of gap in the first half, and you have a team with their characteristics, which is a young team and very active athletically, they’re going to come back in the third quarter with an all-or-nothing approach,” he commented.

The coach also praised the players who stepped up during Thomas’ absence.

“Tico came in very well, Cauê Borges is doing well, Munford played well. All the names contributed so that the game could stay under our control”, he highlighted.

Jece Leite also made sure to praise the support of the fans at Wlamir Marques Gymnasium, which once again drew a big crowd in a playoff atmosphere.

“They are the sixth or 12th player out there on the court. They are fundamental for us, what is happening for us is surreal. It took two years for us, for me at least, to really be living this here as it truly is. So this is fantastic”, he said.

With the win, Corinthians tied the NBB semifinal series at 1-1. The third game between the teams will take place next Saturday (23) at 6:10 p.m., again at Wlamir Marques Gymnasium. The fourth game will be played on Tuesday (26) at 8:30 p.m. at Henrique Villaboim Gymnasium.

If a fifth game is necessary, the decisive matchup will also take place at Pinheiros’ home court, as they finished the regular season with a better record than Timão.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.