NBB Round 17 (Regular Season): No surprise as #1 Pinheiros defeat UniFacisa

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

NBB top team - Pinheiros (13-2) managed to deliver another win on Tuesday. This time they beat twelfth ranked UNIFACISA (8-7) in Paraiba 89-79. American point guard David Sloan (183-1999, college: ETSU) stepped up and scored 20 points for the winners and chipped in 15 points and 5 assists. Pinheiros' coach Gustavo Conti used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American guard Melvin Johnson (193-1993, college: VCU) responded with 19 points. Pinheiros have an impressive series of nine victories in a row. They maintain first place with 13-2 record, which they share with Flamengo and Minas. UniFacisa at the other side dropped to the tenth position with seven games lost. Pinheiros is looking forward to face Cearense (#14) in Fortaleza in the next round which should be an easy win for them. UniFacisa will play at home against Paulistano (#9) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
The game in Mogi das Cruzes was also worth to mention about. Fifth ranked Brasilia (12-4) played at the court of 7th ranked Mogi (9-7). Brasilia defeated Mogi 68-57. The former international forward Brunao Cardoso (197-2002) nailed a double-double by scoring 19 points and 15 rebounds for the winning side and Rafael Paulichi accounted for 19 points and 11 rebounds. The former international point guard Felipe Ruivo (188-1998) came up with 15 points and 6 assists for Mogi in the defeat. Brasilia maintains fifth place with 12-4 record. Mogi lost their fourth game in a row. They dropped to the eighth position with seven games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
An interesting game took place in Sao Jose where higher ranked Sao Jose (10-6) was upset on its own court by thirteenth ranked Caxias do Sul (7-8) 74-61 on Tuesday. The best player for the winners was Augusto Leao who scored 18 points and 5 rebounds. Caxias do Sul's coach Rodrigo Barbosa allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Anderson Rodrigues produced a double-double by scoring 18 points and 11 rebounds for the hosts. Caxias do Sul moved-up to twelfth place, which they share with U.Corinthians. Loser Sao Jose dropped to the seventh position with six games lost. Caxias do Sul will meet bottom-ranked Vasco (#20) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Sao Jose will have a break next round.

There were no shocking results in the rest of the games of round 17: Paulistano destroyed Cearense on the opponent's court 100-77. Pato unfortunately lost to Bauru in a home game 61-69. Rio Claro recorded a loss to Corinthians on the road 57-67. Cruzeiro crushed Botafogo on its own court 89-65. U.Corinthians beat Vasco in Santa Cruz do Sul 85-78.
The most impressive stats of the last round was 31 points and 5 assists by Nate Barnes of U.Corinthians.



Cearense - Paulistano 77-100

Very expected game when 14th ranked Fortaleza (4-11) was crushed at home by ninth ranked Paulistano (9-8) 100-77 on Monday. Paulistano dominated down low during the game scoring 62 of its points in the paint compared to Fortaleza's 40. Paulistano outrebounded Cearense 50-31 including a 19-8 advantage in offensive rebounds. Paulistano looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The best player for the winners was Kaleb Hunter who scored 19 points and 5 assists. Gabriel Macedo chipped in a double-double by scoring 12 points and 12 rebounds. Four Paulistano players scored in double figures. American point guard Michael Dupree (185-1995, college: Northwest) produced 22 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists and Gabriel Fernandes added 18 points respectively for the hosts. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Paulistano maintains ninth place with 9-8 record. Loser Fortaleza keeps the fourteenth position with 11 games lost. They share it with Cruzeiro. Paulistano will meet UniFacisa (#10) in the next round. Cearense will play against the league's leader Pinheiros (#1) and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Top scorers:
Cearense: M.Dupree 22+8reb+4ast, F.Gabriel 18+2reb+2ast, C.Augusto 10+3reb+2ast, A.Popovic 9+3reb+4ast, O.Jean 6, J.Gohlke 6+2reb+2ast
Paulistano: K.Hunter 19+4reb+5ast, S.Lucas 17+3reb, G.Macedo 12+12reb, A.Guilherme 11+6reb+3ast, E.Seixas 11+2ast, S.Neto 8+6reb

Pato - Bauru 61-69

Very predictable result in Pato Branco where eleventh ranked Paschoalotto/Bauru (8-8) defeated 16th ranked Pato (4-12) 69-61 on Monday. The best player for the winners was Dontrell Brite who scored 14 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Andrezao Barbosa de Abreu chipped in a double-double by scoring 15 points and 10 rebounds. American forward Raekwon Horton (198-2002, college: UTSA) produced 18 points and 8 rebounds and Danilo Penteado added 14 points respectively for the hosts. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. The victory was the third consecutive win for Paschoalotto/Bauru. They maintain eleventh place with 8-8 record. Loser Pato keeps the sixteenth position with 12 games lost. Bauru will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Pato will play against Sesi/Franca (#4) and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Top scorers:
Pato: R.Horton 18+8reb+1ast, P.Danilo 14+4reb, T.Thompson 8+2reb+5ast, J.Fidelis 7+7reb, C.Crews 5+4reb, B.Grigor 5+4reb
Bauru: M.Jose 16+5reb+1ast, d.Barbosa 15+10reb+1ast, D.Brite 14+5reb+7ast, M.Eugeniusz 7+1ast, G.Alex 6+3reb+4ast, B.Germerson 6+4reb+1ast

Corinthians - Rio Claro 67-57

Not a big story in a game in Sao Paulo where 17th ranked Rio Claro (4-13) was defeated by sixth ranked Corinthians (11-4) 67-57 on Monday. Corinthians had a 33-22 advantage in offensive rebounds. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. The best player for the winners was American guard Davaunta Thomas (196-1995, college: UAFS) who scored 9 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Gabriel Novaes chipped in 16 points. Thomas is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. produced 15 points and 7 rebounds and Gemadinha Sacco added 11 points and 5 assists (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line) respectively for the guests. Rio Claro's coach Slobodan Nikolic rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. The victory was the third consecutive win for Corinthians. They maintain sixth place with 11-4 record. Rio Claro lost their third game in a row. They keep the seventeenth position with 13 games lost. They share it with Osasco. Corinthians will meet Osasco (#17) on the road in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Rio Claro will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Rio Claro: B.Matheus 15+7reb+1ast, R.Caio 12+3reb, S.Gemadinha 11+4reb+5ast, S.Scott 7+4reb+2ast, C.Arthur 6+1reb+1ast, D.Owens 4+3reb+2ast
Corinthians: G.Novaes 16+3reb, M.Rafael 12+5reb, C.Elyjah 10+3reb+1ast, T.Davaunta 9+8reb+5ast, C.Lucas 6+7reb+1ast, V.Camilo 4+2reb+4ast

Mogi - Brasilia 57-68

The game in Mogi das Cruzes was also worth to mention about. Fifth ranked Brasilia (12-4) played at the court of 7th ranked Mogi (9-7). Brasilia defeated Mogi 68-57. Brasilia made 19-of-24 charity shots (79.2 percent) during the game. Brasilia outrebounded Mogi 42-28 including a 29-16 advantage in defensive rebounds. The former international forward Brunao Cardoso (197-2002) nailed a double-double by scoring 19 points and 15 rebounds for the winning side and Rafael Paulichi accounted for 19 points and 11 rebounds. The former international point guard Felipe Ruivo (188-1998) came up with 15 points and 6 assists and Paulo Da Costa added 11 points respectively for Mogi in the defeat. Brasilia maintains fifth place with 12-4 record. Mogi lost their fourth game in a row. They dropped to the eighth position with seven games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Mogi: F.Ruivo 15+2reb+6ast, D.Costa Paulo 11+3reb+1ast, M.Iago 8+2reb, C.Vinicius 7+7reb+1ast, G.Campos 6+2reb+3ast, V.Gabriel 6+5reb+1ast
Brasilia: R.Paulichi 19+11reb+2ast, C.Brunao 19+15reb, M.Silva 10+1reb+1ast, C.Facundo 9+4reb+4ast, L.Lucas 6+3reb+3ast, K.Crescenzi 3+1reb+1ast

Sao Jose - Caxias do Sul 61-74

An interesting game took place in Sao Jose where higher ranked Sao Jose (10-6) was upset on its own court by thirteenth ranked Caxias do Sul (7-8) 74-61 on Tuesday. The best player for the winners was Augusto Leao who scored 18 points and 5 rebounds. The former international guard Humberto Silva (196-1995) chipped in 11 points and 7 rebounds. Caxias do Sul's coach Rodrigo Barbosa allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. American guard Davaunta Thomas (196-1995, college: UAFS) produced a double-double by scoring 18 points and 11 rebounds and the former international guard Adyel Borges (190-2002) added 10 points and 8 assists respectively for the hosts. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Caxias do Sul moved-up to twelfth place, which they share with U.Corinthians. Loser Sao Jose dropped to the seventh position with six games lost. Caxias do Sul will meet bottom-ranked Vasco (#20) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Sao Jose will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Sao Jose: R.Anderson 18+11reb+1ast, M.Miller 11+2reb, D.Silva 11+8reb+2ast, A.Borges 10+4reb+8ast, C.Leonardo 4+7reb, C.De Freitas 4+8reb+3ast
Caxias do Sul: A.Leao 18+5reb+3ast, S.Humberto 11+7reb, V.Felipe 10+4reb, S.Shamell 10+1reb+4ast, T.Oliveira 8+5reb+1ast, F.Ruiz 7+3reb+2ast

UniFacisa - Pinheiros 79-89

NBB top team - Pinheiros (13-2) managed to deliver another win on Tuesday. This time they beat twelfth ranked UNIFACISA (8-7) in Paraiba 89-79. American point guard David Sloan (183-1999, college: ETSU) stepped up and scored 20 points for the winners and Caua De Souza chipped in 15 points and 5 assists. Pinheiros' coach Gustavo Conti used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American guard Melvin Johnson (193-1993, college: VCU) responded with 19 points and Venezuelan guard Yohanner Sifontes (192-1995) scored 12 points and 5 assists. Five Pinheiros and four UniFacisa players scored in double figures. Pinheiros have an impressive series of nine victories in a row. They maintain first place with 13-2 record, which they share with Flamengo and Minas. UniFacisa at the other side dropped to the tenth position with seven games lost. Pinheiros is looking forward to face Cearense (#14) in Fortaleza in the next round which should be an easy win for them. UniFacisa will play at home against Paulistano (#9) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
UniFacisa: M.Johnson 19+2ast, A.Ferreira 16+2reb+2ast, Y.Sifontes 12+4reb+5ast, H.Coelho 11+2reb+6ast, T.Fermin 10+2reb+4ast, J.Oliveira 6+9reb+1ast
Pinheiros: S.David 20+2reb+2ast, S.De 15+1reb+5ast, N.Betinho 14+3reb, P.CJ 12+3reb+2ast, Y.Barbosa 11+6reb+1ast, P.Pastre 7+5reb+2ast

Cruzeiro - Botafogo 89-65

The game between closely ranked teams ended with eighteenth ranked Cruzeiro's (4-11) home victory over 19th ranked Botafogo (3-14) 89-65 on Tuesday. Cruzeiro made 22-of-25 free shots (88.0 percent) during the game. Cruzeiro had a 33-18 advantage in offensive rebounds. The best player for the winners was the former international forward Tulio Da Silva (203-1996, college: Missouri St.) who had a double-double by scoring 19 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Yosani Clay chipped in 16 points. Four Cruzeiro players scored in double figures. produced 13 points and the former international guard Humberto Silva (196-1995) added 10 points and 5 assists respectively for the guests. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Cruzeiro moved-up to fourteenth place, which they share with Cearense. Botafogo lost their sixth game in a row. They keep the nineteenth position with 14 games lost. Cruzeiro will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Botafogo will play against the league's second-placed Minas (#2) and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Top scorers:
Botafogo: M.Emanuel 13+4reb, N.Felipe 11+3reb, A.Lucas 10+1reb, B.Matheusinho 10+2reb+5ast, A.Alef 8+2reb+4ast, M.Leandro 7+5reb
Cruzeiro: D.Tulio 19+11reb+5ast, Y.Clay 16+2reb+2ast, C.Dominique 13+1reb+1ast, J.Costa 10+4reb, A.Ralfi 10+7reb+2ast, T.Isaac 9+1reb+1ast

Vasco - U.Corinthians 78-85

There was no surprise in Rio de Janeiro where 20th ranked Vasco (2-14) was defeated by eleventh ranked U.Corinthians (7-8) 85-78 on Tuesday. U.Corinthians looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. The best player for the winners was American point guard Nate Barnes (181-1990, college: ABU) who scored 31 points and 5 assists. His fellow American import power forward Devon Scott (205-1994, college: Dayton) chipped in a double-double by scoring 11 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Center Sergio Conceicao (209-2000) produced 19 points and 9 rebounds and added 16 points and 8 assists respectively for the hosts. Four Vasco players scored in double figures. Despite that victory U.Corinthians went down to twelfth position due to points difference, which they share with Caxias do Sul. Loser Vasco stay at the bottom place with 14 games lost. U.Corinthians will meet higher ranked Flamengo (#3) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Vasco will play against Caxias do Sul (#13) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Vasco: S.Conceicao 19+9reb+3ast, V.Alexsander 16+2reb+8ast, L.Basilio 14+4reb+3ast, T.Mathias 12+4reb+3ast, P.Nunes 9+1reb+2ast, O.Elias 8+5reb+1ast
U.Corinthians: B.Nate 31+3reb+5ast, S.Devon 11+10reb+4ast, H.Rafael 11+6reb+2ast, H.Jeremy 8+9reb+6ast, B.Andre 7+2ast, R.David 6+2ast