AP Sports Preview: Minas at Cruzeiro

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (Interstat) — The Brazilian NBB regular season continues Sunday as Cruzeiro hosts Minas at Ginásio Poliesportivo do Riacho. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. local time.

Minas (33-13) enters as the clear favorite, sitting near the top of the standings. The visiting team is coming off a 97-81 loss at Cruzeiro on Friday, ending a four-game winning streak. Prior to that defeat, Minas had beaten Cruzeiro 99-94 on April 21 and had won six of its last seven games overall.

Cruzeiro (14-25) has struggled this season but showed resilience in Friday’s victory. The home team has split its last six contests.

Players to watch

For Minas, forward Alexandre Paranhos has been a consistent contributor. In the April 21 win over Cruzeiro, he posted 20 points and six rebounds in 24 minutes. Over his last seven games, Paranhos is averaging 12.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest. He also had 16 points and seven boards against Cruzeiro on April 1.

For Cruzeiro, guard Isaac Thornton has been the focal point. He logged a team-high 25 points, eight rebounds and six assists in Friday’s win over Minas. Despite the loss on April 21, Thornton scored 25 points in 37 minutes. He has averaged 12.4 points over his last seven outings.

Recent head-to-head

The teams have met four times this season, with Minas holding a 3-1 edge. Cruzeiro’s lone win came Friday, 97-81. The previous three games were decided by margins of five, 13 and eight points, all in favor of Minas.

Sunday’s matchup could have playoff implications for both sides. Minas aims to solidify its top seed, while Cruzeiro looks to build momentum.