From the court in Buenos Aires. With a commanding performance, Boca defeated Flamengo 81-58 and qualified for the BCL Américas Final. Tomorrow they face Sesi Franca of Brazil for the title. Argentine head coach Nicolás Casalanguida outdueled fellow Argentine Sergio Hernández.
The opening minutes were intense, with Boca taking the initiative through Barreiro and Caffaro but without efficiency. The home team quickly went up 5-2. Flamengo was unclear on offense and lost the defensive rebound battle, staying in the game only because of Boca's three-minute scoring drought. Barreiro and Smith converted to make it 11-2 with 4:40 remaining in the first quarter.
Despite Sergio Hernández calling timeout, Boca's lead continued to grow to 15-2 with three minutes left in the first. Only with 2:23 remaining did Doria break Flamengo's drought with a second-chance layup. The Brazilians tried to trim the deficit, but Boca maintained a 10-point lead at the end of the quarter: 19-9.
The second quarter started much like the first, with Boca going on a 7-2 run in 2:30. Boca extended to 26-11, not being particularly dominant but capitalizing on Flamengo's poor efficiency.
Hernández called another timeout but nothing changed. Two turnovers on the perimeter and lack of offensive clarity. Casalanguida's team continued to capitalize on Flamengo's struggles, building a 20-point lead: 39-19 with 2:59 until halftime.
With a slight reaction from the visitors, Flamengo cut it close to 10 points, but Cuello hit a three-pointer late in the quarter, and Boca closed the second quarter 44-27. There were no changes in the game's trajectory—or rather, Boca recovered and extended to a 22-point lead midway through the third quarter. Sergio Hernández never found a way to get back into the game.
Casalanguida, euphoric with his team's performance, even asked the crowd for more chants while continuing to give minutes to his bench players. Flamengo tried once more to cut it close, getting to 16 points: 56-40 with 2:27 remaining in the third.
Faggiano burned clock, looking for easy shots or simply not giving Flamengo any chance to mount a comeback. The third quarter ended 61-41. The final 10 minutes were a carbon copy of the third quarter. Flamengo relied on individual attempts without any collective play, with some made shots but never getting back within striking distance.
Boca eased up on offense and tightened up defensively. They extended to 79-54 with three minutes remaining. The rest of the quarter was almost a formality. Boca won 81-58.
Boca (81): Scala 0; Vega 0; Barreiro 13; Caffaro 12; Smith 16; Faggiano 9; Cuello 16; Giorgetti 2; Langston 7; Stenta 6; Hicks 0
Flamengo (58): Baralle 4; Deodato 15; Cummings 4; Johnson 5; Wesley 6; Lugarini 0; Negrete 9; Dos Santos 8; Kayo 0; Keiros 3; Fernández 2; Robinson 2