NBB: Flamengo stunned by late comeback, basketball crisis grows | OneFootball

Flamengo was leading by three points with two free throws in their favor and only two seconds left

Used to winning, Flamengo is experiencing a surreal moment in basketball. Leader of the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB), the Rubro-Negro lost 93 to 87 to modest Rio Claro, 14th in the competition. The match took place at Ginásio Felipe Karam, known as Felipão, in the interior of São Paulo.

The most impressive moment happened in the final seconds. With two seconds left, Flamengo was leading 78 to 75 and had two free throws. However, both were missed by Jhonatan. On the counterattack, Rio Claro hit a three-pointer from far away with Thygesen, sending the game into overtime. After this tough mental blow for Fla, the home team came out with the victory.

As a result, Flamengo has only one win in the last six games, across all competitions: Super 8, Basketball Champions League Americas, and Novo Basquete Brasil. In addition, part of the fans are calling for coach Sergio ‘Oveja’ Hernandez to leave.

HOW WAS THE GAME?

Leader against 14th place, the expectation was that Flamengo would steamroll Rio Claro in the NBB. However, that’s not what happened. The home team set a strong pace and opened 26 to 21 in the first quarter, surprising the competition’s biggest champion.

In the second quarter, Flamengo improved offensively but didn’t get better on defense. Thus, the teams traded points throughout, with the quarter ending 25 to 24. Therefore, the teams went to the locker rooms with Rio Claro at 51, and Mengo at 45.

In the third quarter, the game got complicated for Flamengo. With a sleepy start from the Rubro-Negro, Rio Claro opened up a ten-point lead and made the gym erupt. However, in the final minutes, o Mais Querido fought back and managed to stay alive in the game, tying the quarter at 13 to 13. In other words, the São Paulo team started the last quarter leading 64 to 58.

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE FINAL SECONDS?

Flamengo played like Flamengo, was precise on defense and surgical on offense, managing to take the lead in the last ten minutes. However, when it seemed the game was decided, the Rubro-Negro was caught off guard. With 2.1 seconds left, Mengo was leading 78 to 75 and had two free throws. However, both were missed and, on the counterattack, Rio Claro hit a “miracle” three-pointer, sending the game to overtime.

Completely destroyed psychologically, and with Rio Claro making absolutely everything, Flamengo was easy prey in overtime. Therefore, another defeat in the NBB and a direct matchup coming up in the national competition standings.

WHEN IS FLAMENGO’S NEXT GAME?

In basketball, there’s no time for rest, not even Carnival. Next Thursday (19th), Flamengo faces Franca, currently second in the Novo Basquete Brasil. Tip-off is at 7pm (Brasília time), at Maracanãzinho, with broadcast on FlamengoTV, on YouTube.

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