FIBA Americas League - All Stars down Metros in opener

GUAYNABO (FIBA Americas League) - Chicago's Premier Basketball League All Stars defeated the Dominican Republic's Metros Santiago 95-91 (view boxscores) in the first game of the FIBA Americas League in Guaynabo.

Metros led by as many as 15 points in the first half but couldn't hold on to the advantage with PBL taking control for good in the fourth quarter.

"We need to improve in the collective work," said PBL All Stars' coach, Puerto Rican Ricky Benitez.

"Many of our players never play together, but at the end the balance is positive."

The Dominican players will be kicking themselves because they had created the perfect platform for victory.
 
A lay-up by David Diaz capped a 15-2 run late in the first quarter that opened up a 22-7 advantage for them.

They were still in command after Diaz made a pair of free throws for a 31-16 lead with 7:35 to go in the first half.

That's when the momentum began to shift.

An Ed Tatum three-ball finished off a 13-4 run for PBL to close the gap to 35-29, and the Chicago team would end up heading to the changing rooms at half-time trailing just 44-41.
 
The game remained tight with the score knotted at 69-69 at the end of the thrid quarter following a three-pointer by PBL's Johan Manuel Perez Sierra.

PBL landed the decisive blows in the first four and a half minutes of the last period.

Behind 71-69 after a pair of free throws by Metros star Joel Curbelo, PBL out-scored the Dominican team 12-1.

Albert Lajuane Burditt's three-point play - he was fouled while shooting a jump shot - finished off the surge for an 81-72 advantage with 5:45 remaining.

The Dominican team didn't lose hope and managed to trim the deficit to 94-91 when Diaz sank a pair of free throws with just 13 seconds remaining.
 
But Julio Duquela fouled Tatum and he drilled one of two at the line with 10 seconds to go, and both Curbelo and Aneuris Liriano Lugo were off target with jumpers at the end for Metros de Santiago.

In Metros' losing cause, Curbelo had 23 points while Julio Solano weighed in with 17 and also grabbed 10 rebounds.
 
Metros' head boss Jose Dominguez said: "We felt the tiredness, but despite the defeat I'm happy because we showed some interesting things."

Other game results:

Cangrejeros vs Soles 74-75

FIBA