After dominating their first two games in the FIBA AmeriCup men’s tournament, Canada faced a tougher challenge against Puerto Rico, securing a hard-fought 82-73 victory in the final Group B matchup in Managua, Nicaragua on Monday night.
Both teams entered the game with perfect 2-0 records in the group, ensuring their spots in the upcoming quarterfinals. The game was closely contested, with Canada holding slim leads of 36-34 at halftime and 58-57 going into the final quarter. The lead exchanged hands multiple times in the fourth quarter, resulting in a total of 14 lead changes.
In the closing moments of the game, Canada held a narrow 73-71 lead with 90 seconds left on the clock before embarking on a crucial six-point run to secure a 79-71 advantage with just 13 seconds remaining.
Kyshawn George led Canada’s scoring with 17 points and five rebounds, supported by Mfiondu Kabengele’s double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. Trae Bell-Haynes contributed 11 points, while Marcus Carr and Leonard Miller added 10 and 9 points respectively, with Miller also grabbing nine rebounds.
For Puerto Rico, Jose Alvarado led the team with 20 points and five rebounds, followed by Gian Clavell with 19 points and seven assists. George Conditt the Fourth led in rebounds with eight.
Canada boasted a 48% shooting percentage compared to Puerto Rico’s 41%. They also outperformed Puerto Rico in rebounds (41-40), points in the paint (42-38), and bench points (28-19).
On the other hand, Puerto Rico excelled in steals (8-3), blocks (6-5), points off turnovers (14-7), and second-chance points (13-10).
In a separate game earlier on Monday, Venezuela secured a 77-73 victory over Panama, clinching the third spot in Group B with a 1-2 record. Panama finished at the bottom of the group standings with a 0-3 record.
Canada had previously dominated their tournament opener with an 88-54 win against Venezuela and continued their winning streak with a commanding 99-49 victory over Panama.
Venezuela’s win over Panama and Canada’s triumph against Puerto Rico set the stage for an exciting quarterfinal round in the FIBA AmeriCup.