SINGAPORE (Singapore) - The first game of this year's FIBA Intercontinental Cup will go down in history as one of the most dramatic ones, with the NBA G League United claiming a win at the buzzer.
Meanwhile, the defending champions Unicaja took care of business in the other game of the day.
From +23 to -6 to a buzzer-beater
Flamengo came into the tournament as the winners of the Basketball Champions League Americas, but they were too slow to start the game against the NBA G League United.
The North American team climbed up to a 23-point advantage in the third quarter, which is when the Brazilians finally woke up.
An unreal shooting display saw them knock down 13 three-pointers in the second half alone, not only coming back from the deficit, but also opening up a six-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Flamengo were up by four points heading into the final minute, but that's when Jaden Shackelford took over. His three-pointer made it a one-point game, and with the score tied at 91-all with just two seconds left to play, coach Joseph Blair dialed his number again.
The lefty guard answered, hitting the floater to set the final score at 93-91 as time expired.
He finished with 20 points, while Feron Hunt went all-round for 24 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists.
Gui Deodato and Shaquille Johnson scored 20 apiece for Flamengo. They will be back in action on Friday, too, facing the Illawarra Hawks. NBA G League United enjoy a day off, before returning back to action on Saturday.
Unicaja on cruise control
The title holders booked a trip back to Singapore as the champions of BCL Europe, and they presented their new-look team, with a few changes to the roster that won it all a year ago.
Coach Ibon Navarro is still there, and he got to see James Webb III, Xavier Castaneda, Emir Sulejmanovic and Chris Duarte in their first competitive game since arriving in Malaga.
All of them contributed in a 73-61 win over Alahli SC, Webb reaching double digits with 12 points on the day, done in just 14 minutes of action.
Tyson Perez was the top scorer for the Spaniards with 16.
Alahli SC refused to go away, and even though Unicaja led from start to finish, it was far from being a one-way street.
Ivan Almeida was the one shining the brightest for the Basketball Africa League champions, finishing the game with 21 points and 9 rebounds - 6 of them being offensive.
Unicaja take on Utsunomiya Brex on Friday. A win there would guarantee them a trip back to the Final on Sunday.