Cruzeiro vs. Minas
AP Sports Preview
BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (Interstat) — Minas faces Cruzeiro in a Novo Basquete Brasil matchup Wednesday night at Arena Vivo.
Minas enters with a 34-13 record across all competitions, while Cruzeiro is 14-26. The ELO rating system projects Minas with a 92.6 percent probability of victory.
The teams have met three times in the past eight days, with Minas winning two of those contests. On Sunday, Minas defeated Cruzeiro 101-74 at Cruzeiro’s home court. On Friday, Cruzeiro responded with a 97-81 win at home. On April 21, Minas edged Cruzeiro 99-94 at Arena Vivo.
Minas center Winicius Silva Braga has been a consistent force. In Sunday’s win, he scored 19 points with five rebounds in 19 minutes. Over his last seven games, Braga has averaged 11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds, including a 26-point, 12-rebound effort against Paraiba on April 12. He also posted 11 points and five rebounds in the April 21 victory over Cruzeiro.
Cruzeiro guard Gerald Gittens has been a versatile contributor despite limited scoring. In Sunday’s loss, he recorded three points, nine rebounds and seven assists in 26 minutes. Gittens had five points and four assists in the April 24 win over Minas. Over his past six games, he has averaged 4.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists.
Minas has won four of its last five games overall, with the lone loss coming at Cruzeiro on April 24. The team has posted dominant wins over Botafogo (106-71 on April 9) and Vasco da Gama (109-88 on April 4). Cruzeiro has lost five of its last seven, including a 101-91 home defeat to Paraiba on April 14.
Wednesday’s game is the fourth meeting between the clubs in April. Minas holds a 4-1 edge in the season series, dating to Nov. 1, 2025, when Minas won 84-76 at Cruzeiro.
Tipoff is at 8 p.m. local time.