To dominate the NBB

By Cassius Oliveira_247 – The NBB (Novo Basquete Brasil) finals begin next Tuesday, the 17th, with a great game between Vivo/Franca and Uniceub/BRB/Brasília. Franca, the top-ranked team in the qualifying phase, dispatched Flamengo 3-0 in the other semifinal and awaited its opponent from the sidelines. And, judging by what they saw on television, the Franca team must have gone from uncertainty to concern at certain moments during the game between Brasília and Sky/Pinheiros last Friday. The uncertainty stemmed from the 19-point lead Pinheiros had over Brasília, which would have forced a tiebreaker game. And the concern arose precisely with the thrilling comeback by Brasília, which secured their participation for the third consecutive time in the tournament's trophy competition.

The match between Brasília and Pinheiros was worthy of entering the short history of the competition. The game began with the São Paulo team dominating the court, making almost all their three-point shots, which secured a 28-14 victory in the first quarter. In the second quarter, the team from the Federal District began to show signs of a comeback, but Pinheiros' dominance was overwhelming, especially with Olivinha, who scored five consecutive points and extended the lead to 19 points. It seemed all was lost for Brasília, but the star of the game began to emerge: Alex, the number 10 who finished the game as top scorer with 31 points, managed to lead the team and reduce the difference to 10 points at the end of the second quarter: 47-37.

From then on, the strength of the crowd made Brasília grow in the game and diminish the power of Pinheiros. Led by Alex, who scored nine consecutive points to ignite his teammates, the home team turned the score around and only failed to win in regulation time because the São Paulo club managed a basket in the final seconds. Overtime only highlighted the reversal of command that occurred during the game: Pinheiros was defeated while the Brasília team was in control. In the end, 99 to 93 with all the emotion of the great games of the American basketball league.

In fact, the NBB wants to be the NBA. Created three years ago by the main Brazilian clubs, the national league has captured the attention of fans and managed to consolidate basketball in the country. This season, the games were more balanced and the teams showed what the fans want to see, that is, shows like dunks. In the first two seasons, Brasília and Flamengo made it to the finals, with one title for each side. Franca is the interloper that will try to keep the trophy collection balanced.