SAO PAULO (Brazil) – Brazil won 78–62 and completed the sweep against Chile in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers opening window. This time, the game was played at the Wladimir Marques Gymnasium in São Paulo. The home team took a major step toward the Second Round by securing the head-to-head series against Chile in Group C, from which the top three teams advance.
Turning point
Brazil already won on the road in the opener (82–66), applied pressure from the opening tip and jumped out to a 9–0 run. The team repeated the formula in the second quarter with a 13–2 burst that pushed the lead to 20 points just 14 minutes into the game. Point guard Caio Pacheco checked in with two minutes left in the first quarter and scored 11 points (three three-pointers and two free throws) in his first 10 minutes on the floor, helping set the tone for Brazil’s victory.
Player of the game
Georginho De Paula led Brazil with an efficiency rating of 23, posting 17 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in 34 minutes of action.
Alexey Borges also stood out as the game’s top scorer with 18 points, and Leo Meindl came close to a double-double with 11 points and 9 rebounds. For Chile, Felipe Haase finished with 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Stats don’t lie
The hosts dominated the interior and controlled the boards (42–27). They also scored 32 points in the paint compared to Chile’s 24, and the visitors struggled badly from long range, shooting just 6-of-28 from beyond the arc (21 percent). Brazil shot 36 percent from three (9–35).
Bottom line
Brazil kept its undefeated record against Chile in World Cup Qualifiers, now at six games. Their previous wins had come by an average margin of 20.8 points.
FIBA