MAR DEL PLATA (DIRECTV Liga de las Americas) - Flamengo and Penarol needed just two days to clinch their places in the DIRECTV Liga de las Americas Final Four. 

Then on Sunday, Day 3 - they squared off in a thrilling battle for first place, and the Brazilian club prevailed in the closing seconds after a game-winning jump shot from their Argentinian guard, Nicolas Laprovittola.

Playing in front of his own countrymen, including Argentina national team coach Sergio Hernandez, Laprovittola scored for an 88-86 triumph.

He was then mobbed by his teammates.

The contest didn't look like it was going to have an exciting finish for three quarters with Flamengo in dominant form.

Penarol faced an 18-point deficit at the start of the last frame but clawed their way back to make a game of it.

Leo Gutierrez, who had struggled in Group F, finally came to life in the second half on Sunday and led his team in its comeback.

A member of Argentina's golden generation and a player at last year's FIBA Basketball World Cup, Penarol captain Gutierrez finished with a game-high 20 points.

Gutierrez, Luciano Massarelli and Alejandro Konsztadt each went to the line and made two free-throws in the last 30 seconds to keep their team's hopes alive.

After Konsztadt sank his two with six seconds remaining, Flamengo coach Jose Neto called a timeout to set up the last play.

When play resumed, Carlos Olivinha inbounded the ball to Laprovittola and the 25-year-old dribbled to the free-throw line before hitting his game-winning shot.

The games that Flamengo and Penarol won that clinched their places in the Final Four, however, were played on Days 1 and 2.

Flamengo rolled to victories over Halcones Rojos (92-62) on Friday and Trotamundos (105-70) on Saturday while Penarol defeated Trotamundos (73-64) and Halcones Rojos (83-63).

Flamengo are now just two victories away from becoming the first team to win back-to-back FIBA Americas League crowns.

Their rivals in Brazil, Liga Sudamericana winners Bauru, and Pioneros de Quintana Roo of Mexico, will also be at the Final Four.

Penarol (twice) and Pioneros have also captured the FIBA Americas League crown before.

In each of Flamengo's first two wins in Mar del Plata, Marquinhos poured in the points early to put the team on the road to victory.

Marquinhos, you may recall, was one of Brazil's best players at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

It helped Flamengo in Mar del Plata that there was no let-up when Marquinhos and Laprovittola left the court.

The reserves, especially the guards, kept the pressure on.

Vitor Benite and Gege Chaia entered games and were effective both on defense and in attack.

In the first game, Flamengo buried 17 of 36 (47 per cent) of their three-point attempts.

One of the spectators for the games, Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez, had to be impressed with the play of Laprovittola.

The 25-year-old native of Buenos Aires demonstrated why he is likely to have a key role moving forward for the national team.

He was four of seven from the arc and had 16 points against Halcones, while against Trotamundos Laprovittola, the MVP of the Intercontinental Cup, hit three of five from the arc and scored 13 points.

Hernandez also had to be impressed by a couple of young Argentinians on display in Mar del Plata, Luciano Massarelli and Franco Giorgetti.

The former, a 21-year-old guard, eased the home fans' nerves on Day 2 when Penarol were struggling to put Halcones away. He came off the bench and had 18 points in 13 minutes with most of his damage coming in the second half as Penarol won, 83-63.

He had poured in 11 points in 10 minutes in Penarol's 73-64 Day 1 triumph over Trotamundos.

Massarelli is a name that a lot of people have heard before, especially in Argentina and Brazil.

When he played at the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship in Latvia, Massarelli averaged a team-high 11.2 points per game and led the team to a fourth-place finish.

Among his biggest plays was a buzzer-beating three-ball to force overtime in a game against Brazil, one that Argentina ended up winning.

Giorgetti, a forward, provided energy on defense and the boards, and highlight reel plays on both ends of the floor.

He played for Argentina last year at the South American Championship in Venezuela.

Halcones Rojos, meanwhile, defeated Trotamundos in Sunday's first game to clinch third place.

FIBA