The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

David Nesbitt and his club captured a league title in Brazil.

Paulistano Sao Paolo closed out the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB) finals with an 82-76 win over Mogi das Cruzes to clinch the best of five series 3-1.

Nesbitt got the start but finished with just five points and four rebounds after battling foul trouble all game long.

He averaged 5.8 points and 3.8 rebounds for the series.

Paulistano opened the series with a 99-82 win in game one. Nesbitt finished with six points and five rebounds in 28 minutes.

Mogi took game two with an 84-70 win, their first win over Paulistano in five meetings this season, dating back to the regular season.

In game three Nesbitt came off the bench to finish with eight points and five rebounds in an 88-84 win. He was a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line and, as a team, Paulistano shot 23-29 at the stripe. They also had 15 made three-pointers at 52 per cent.

The NBB is the Brazilian premier professional men's basketball league.

In the opening round of the playoffs, Paulistano defeated Cearense 3-1 and outlasted Bauru 3-2 in a pair of best-of-five series.

This season Nesbitt averaged 8.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game on 55 per cent shooting from the field.

He played last season for Ciclista Olimpico de La Banda in the Argentinian LigaA. In 32 games with the club, he averaged 9.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

Earlier in the season, he was also a key component for Goes Montevideo in Uruguay's (LUB). In 19 games he averaged 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

Nesbitt spent the previous season in the Iraqi Superleague with Al Mina. He helped them to win the regular season and make it to the final. Nesbitt was also voted to Asia-Basket.com's Iraqi League All-Imports Team and All-Second Team.

He has also played professionally in Kazakhstan for Kaspiy Aktau. Most recently, he participated with the men's national team at the FIBA World Cup Americas Qualifiers where he averaged 6.1 points and 5.8 rebounds through the first two windows.