Flamengo lose to União Corinthians, slip further off NBB top spot | OneFootball

Short-handed, Flamengo couldn’t beat União Corinthians away from home

Flamengo suffered its second straight loss in the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB). This Tuesday (31), the Rubro-Negro fell 96-91 to União Corinthians at Ginásio Poliesportivo Arnão, in Santa Cruz do Sul-RS, in the 33rd round.

With the result, Flamengo fell further behind in the race for first place. Pinheiros sits at the top of the table with 28 wins. Franca is second with 26. Mengo, which led the standings last week, remains on 25 victories after losses to Brasília and now União Corinthians.

HOW DID THE GAME GO?

Flamengo had two major last-minute absences for the game. Gui Deodato was ruled out with gastroenteritis. Point guard Alexey Borges, meanwhile, has been under special workload management after a serious injury and missed the game to treat bone edema in his knee.

With difficulties rotating the squad, Flamengo struggled and lost the first quarter 22-21. In the second, both teams performed poorly on defense and allowed a high score. As a result, the Rubro-Negro conceded 27 points but managed to score 29. That sent the teams into the locker room with the Most Beloved ahead (50-49).

The balance continued in the third period. Point guard Negrete took over the game and shined. In addition, Flamengo’s defense finally clicked. As a result, Flamengo won the quarter 18-15, taking a four-point lead (68-64) into the final ten minutes.

Flamengo’s lead simply vanished in the fourth quarter. After a sluggish start by Mengão, União Corinthians came back and pulled ahead, 80-74. But the Rubro-Negro fought back and managed to tie it. With 1:10 remaining, the game was tied at 91-91, but Fla ran out of steam and failed to score again. On the other side, the team from Rio Grande do Sul closed it out at 96.

WHEN IS FLAMENGO’S NEXT NBB GAME?

Flamengo won’t have much time to rest. This Thursday (02), again away from home, the Pride of the Nation will face Caxias at the Sesi court in Caxias do Sul, starting at 7:00 p.m. (Brasília time). The team from Rio Grande do Sul currently sits in 13th place in the Novo Basquete Brasil.

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