Corinthians beat Minas at home, regain quarter-final edge in NBB | OneFootball

On Saturday afternoon, Corinthians got the better of Minas with a 103-97 win in the third game of the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB) quarterfinal series. The matchup took place at Ginásio Wlamir Marques, in Parque São Jorge, and put Timão back in front in the series, now leading 2-1.

For the game, head coach Jece Leite kept the same lineup used in the previous matchups. Corinthians’ starting five featured Davaunta Thomas, Victão, Elyjah Clark, Lucas Cauê, and Elinho. On the bench, the coach had Tico Faria, Lucas Cardoso, Cauê Borges, Kaique, Kauan Raymundo, Rafael Munford, and Gabriel Novaes available. Minas, meanwhile, started with Williams, Fischer, Wini Silva, Arengo, and Rachel.

Photo: Beto Miller/Ag. Corinthians

The first two quarters were marked by an extremely fast pace. Corinthians and Minas put on an offensively intense game, with constant lead changes and few scoreless possessions. The game remained closely contested throughout virtually the entire first half. For Corinthians, Davaunta Thomas stood out early, scoring 16 points in the first half and leading the team’s offense.

After halftime, the game settled into a less physically intense rhythm, reflecting the wear and tear both teams had built up. Even so, the balance remained until the final minutes. In the last quarter, Elyjah Clark stepped up in a major way for Corinthians, playing a decisive role in helping the team secure the win in front of the home crowd at Parque São Jorge.

With the win, Timão regains the edge in the best-of-five series and now needs just one more victory to clinch a spot in the NBB semifinals. Game 4 between the teams is scheduled for this Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Arena UniBH in Belo Horizonte. If Corinthians win again, they will close out the series and advance to the next round.

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