MANAGUA (Nicaragua) – Brazil passed a tough test in its FIBA AmeriCup 2025 debut on Saturday, defeating Uruguay 81-76 at the Alexis Arguello Sports Complex in Managua, Nicaragua.
The Brazilians, favorites to lift the title, sealed the game with just 14 seconds remaining in the final quarter. Their opponent never took control of the scoreboard. Although there was no lead change, Uruguay constantly threatened to pull off an upset, keeping the current runner-ups uneasy until the very end.
Turning point
Vítor Benite had missed three attempts from beyond the arc before, with 14.7 seconds left, and after an offensive rebound by Bruno Caboclo, he nailed his first three-pointer, giving his team a six-point lead (80-74) and, ultimately, securing the win.
The 35-year-old guard is on his fifth AmeriCup appearance, finishing with 6 points, all in the final period. He also grabbed 1 rebound and 1 steal in 17 minutes.
TCL player of the game
A tight contest among four players, but the award goes to Georginho De Paula. The perimeter player made key plays before Benite’s decisive shot. First, a three-pointer with 1:54 left to give Brazil a 5-point lead, and then a steal that resulted in a point on the other end. De Paula finished with 12 points, half of them in the final 10 minutes. He also grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists.
Another contender for the award was Bruno Caboclo, who registered a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. The center also provided 4 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. Alexey Borges and Yago Santos added 12 points each, keeping the offense flowing when it seemed stagnant. They had 9 assists between them. For Uruguay, Emiliano Serres led the attack with 14 points and six rebounds. Pablo Gómez, Santiago Vescovi, and Nicolás Martínez each scored nine points. All 10 Uruguayan players who stepped onto the court contributed to the score with at least two points.
Stats don’t lie
The Verdeamarela registered a total of 14 three-pointers on 33 attempts, for a 42 percent success rate. Alexey Borges and Lucas Dias led the team with three each. The winners even finished the game with more successful three-pointers than two-pointers (12), marking their lowest total for two-pointers in an AmeriCup game since 2003.
Bottom line
Brazil improved its record in opening games to 13-7, and its historical record against Uruguay now stands at 14-3. Brazil’s next game will be on Sunday against the Bahamas, while Uruguay will face the United States on the same day in Group A.
They said
Brazil's head coach, Aleksandar Petrovic, credited his opponent in the post-game press conference. "I knew it was going to be difficult because for the last eight months, we’ve played them four times, and we’ve never beaten them easily. We started well offensively, but we had concentration problems, and that gave them easy points. Fortunately, we made some quality shots that won us the game. We didn’t play Brazil’s basketball, but we got the win," he said.
FIBA