Flamengo stays undefeated as Rafa Mineiro's block seals comeback win

BELO HORIZONTE (Brazil) - Chalk this victory to Flamengo's fighting spirit.

Despite being down by double digits in the third quarter, the Brazilians completed a dramatic comeback, crowned by a pair of free throws from Olivinha and a sensational block from Rafa Mineiro on Santiago Scala's potential game-winning jumpshot.

A true defensive masterpiece:

 

That's how the Rio de Janeiro squad beat Instituto 78-77 on Monday's Group D matchup at the Arena Minas Tenis Clube.

It was a tale of two halves as Instituto took a 49-37 lead into halftime, led by a scorching hot Martín Cuello. The 27-year-old forward scored 14 of his game-high 25 before intermission, doing damage inside and out.

That included this circus shot to beat the buzzer at the end of the half:

 

However, Flamengo slowly chipped away at the deficit in the third quarter, eventually retaking the lead on a Franco Balbi three-pointer.

The long-range make was the story of the game, as Flamengo – despite low accuracy – leveraged 14 makes from downtown to only 7 for the cordobeses.

Lucas Martinez was instrumental in that attack, with all 12 of his points coming from beyond the arc.

Olivinha also contributed a double-double (11 points and 10 rebounds), including a pair of makes at the line that put Flamengo on top for good.

That ended up erasing another good performance from Scala, who finished with 15 points (3/5 from downtown) and five assists.

 

Flamengo was just a bit better down the stretch, benefitting also from a 22-5 edge on points off turnovers.

The cariocas are now atop Group D with a 2-0 record as they get ready to face Minas (1-2) on Tuesday.

Instituto (1-2) is set to host both Flamengo and Minas in Córdoba on Basketball Champions League Americas' next window at the end of March.

 

FIBA