RIO DE JANEIRO (Brazil) – Flamengo and SESI Franca, a pair of Brazilian powerhouses who’ve tasted success at the international level, will go head-to-head in the second Semi-Final of Basketball Champions League Americas’ Season 6 Final 4 – to be played at Estadio Maracanazinho in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Flamengo will be the hosts and will try to leverage their home court advantage in a matchup that is too close to call. Both teams have won BCL Americas titles, with Flamengo taking the crown in 2020-21 and Franca in 2022-23. The winner will look to become the second club with 2 titles in the competition, joining Quimsa from Argentina.
Key matchup
The point guard duel between Alexey Borges (Flamengo) and Georginho De Paula (SESI Franca) could be one for the ages. They led their respective teams throughout all phases of the competition and they’re BCL America’s most efficient players at 21.7 and 20.3, respectively.
They’re also teammates with the Brazilian National Team and they’ll be at the helm of each team’s offense. Borges leads BCL Americas in assists with 8.2, while De Paula is third at 5.8. Borges is also Flamengo’s top scorer (14.0 points per game) and paces the competition in steals (2.2). De Paul is Franca’s third leading scorer (12.4 points) and top rebounder (8.4).
X factor
Both clubs feature top level players and boast deep rosters. A key for Flamengo will be the contributions from Shaquille Johnson (12.4 PTS and 4.3 REB) and Jordan Williams (11.4 PTS and 5.1 REB). The American duo has been inconsistent, and Flamengo will need them both to perform at a high level. Franca will rely heavily on their other members of the Brazilian National Team, who’ve also had ups and downs throughout the season: Lucas Dias (14.9 PTS and 5.6 REB) and Didi Louzada (12.8 PTS and 1.4 STL).
Stats don’t lie
Both teams are known for their explosive offenses. Flamengo leads the competition at 91.6 points per game, while Franca is 5th at 83.0. This is why the difference could be Flamengo’s supremacy on the boards. The hosts dominate with 44.6 rebounds per game (2nd in BCL Americas) while Franca averaged a more pedestrian 35.7 (8th). Flamengo also boast a big advantage in second chance points: 17.3 against 9.2 for their opponent. Franca must find a way to close those gaps to have a chance to advance.
Previous matchups
These teams have only played each other once in BCL Americas history and it was a big one: the Season 4 Final where SESI Franca prevailed. In the current season of their domestic league, they’ve split a pair of games. The most recent one was this past Tuesday, with Franca pulling out a close (97-91) win to even out their head-to-head.
FIBA