Preview: Cearense at Cruzeiro in NBB Action

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (Interstat) — Two teams at the bottom of the Novo Basquete Brasil standings seek momentum when Cruzeiro hosts Cearense on Thursday night.

Cruzeiro (12-23) enters with a slight edge in the standings and is coming off one of its best performances of the season, an 89-72 road victory over Vasco da Gama on April 11. Dominique Coleman led the way with 23 points in that win. The small forward has been a key offensive variable for Cruzeiro; in his last five games, he has scored 23, 5, 10, 13 and 9 points, respectively.

The visiting Cearense (6-28) has struggled profoundly, losing 10 of its last 11 games. Its most recent outing was a 107-83 home loss to Caxias Do Sul on April 6. Despite the team’s woes, forward Bernardo Da Silva has been a consistent bright spot. Over his last four games, Da Silva is averaging 15.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists, including a 20-point, 9-rebound, 7-assist effort in a narrow 94-93 win over Corinthians on April 4.

The teams last met on Dec. 29, 2025, with Cruzeiro securing an 86-78 road victory. Cearense will look to Da Silva and backcourt contributors Michael Dupree and Gabriel Fernandes, who combined for 57 points in the loss to Caxias Do Sul, to reverse that result.

For Cruzeiro, sustaining the balanced attack from its win over Vasco da Gama will be critical. Alongside Coleman, guards Isaac Thornton and Tulio Da Silva provided significant production.

Tipoff is scheduled for Thursday at Cruzeiro’s home arena. Both clubs are effectively eliminated from playoff contention, making this a battle for pride and foundation-building for the next season.