MIAMI (United States) – The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers Window 3 has come to an end, and it's time to take a look at the 12 teams that advanced to the Second Round. Find out which national teams delivered the strongest performances and which fell short of expectations during the July games.
1. CAN (-)
Record: 6-0 Canada cemented their place at the top of the rankings after a memorable return home in Window 3. As expected, with several NBA stars such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dillon Brooks, Andrew Nembhard and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, etc. plus the debut of head coach Gordie Herbert— Canada showcased their full potential. The team set historic offensive records, scored at least 110 points in both games and defeated Puerto Rico and Jamaica by margins of more than 25 points. They enter the Second Round as one of only two undefeated teams.
2. BRA (-)
Record: 6-0 The South Americans are the other team with a perfect record. In Window 3, they once again looked superior to their opponents in Group C despite missing key players such as Georginho De Paula and Lucas Dias. This time, Yago Santos and Bruno Caboclo led the way in the victories over Venezuela and Colombia. Both wins came by double-digit margins, while head coach Aleksandar Petrovic also took the opportunity to give valuable minutes to players like Reynan Santos and Leo Beath.
3. USA (+1)
Record: 5-1 The Americans returned the favor to the Dominican Republic by defeating them on the road to take sole possession of first place in Group A. They then followed that up with another road win over Mexico. Those victories propelled the United States back into our Top 3 after dropping out following Window 2. Beyond the results, USA also welcomed Mike James for his national team debut, and the veteran point guard proved instrumental with several clutch plays down the stretch of both games.
4. URU (+1)
Record: 5-1 Although Uruguay lost their unbeaten record with a home defeat to Argentina, they held on to first place in Group D thanks to the head-to-head tiebreaker based on point differential. That is why they remain ahead of Argentina in these rankings. During this window, shooting guard Joaquín Rodríguez once again established himself as one of the First Round's top performers. 19-year-old Joaquín Taboada broke out with a 27-point performance against Cuba, showing the coaching staff they have another key piece for the future.
5. ARG (+1)
Record: 5-1 Argentina closed out the First Round in the best possible fashion with two road victories, earning a one-spot climb in the rankings. Head coach Pablo Prigioni had most of his Europe-based star players available, and the team looked solid throughout. Leandro Bolmaro's return added a new dimension to the offense, with the guard averaging 17.5 points in wins over Uruguay and Panama.
6. DOM (-3)
Record: 4-2 The Dominican Republic missed a golden opportunity to finish atop Group A after falling at home to the United States, having beaten the Americans on the road in the previous window. They controlled most of that game, but their opponents executed better in the closing minutes. To be fair, it was more credit to the USA powerhouse than a result of Dominican Republic’s mistakes. They bounced back by defeating Nicaragua to finish the window 1-1. Andrés Feliz was outstanding in both games, averaging 20.5 points, 8.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds.
7. MEX (+1)
Record: 3-3 Mexico also came close to defeating the United States but ultimately fell short of completing the comeback. Overall, they met expectations by beating Nicaragua and then putting up a strong fight against their northern neighbors. Yahir Bonilla was sensational, averaging 25.0 points, 14.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks, further establishing himself as one of the team's most dependable players.
8. PUR (+2)
Record: 2-4 Puerto Rico reminded everyone of their tradition and pedigree in the region with a spectacular road victory over a Bahamas team featuring NBA stars VJ Edgecombe Jr. and Buddy Hield. The Puerto Ricans entered that game with their backs against the wall and no margin for error after being overwhelmed by Canada and their NBA talent. However, head coach Carlos González found the right formula, and his team delivered their best performance of the Qualifiers when it mattered most.
9. BAH (-2)
Record: 2-4 Although Bahamas finished second in Group B ahead of Puerto Rico thanks to the three-way tiebreak criteria, the team does not rank ahead of the Puerto Ricans here because Puerto Rico won both head-to-head meetings during these Qualifiers. Still, Bahamas' 123-74 victory over Jamaica proved decisive in securing advancement. Edgecombe delivered outstanding two-way performances in both games, once again showing why he finished third in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting last season.
10. PAN (+3)
Record: 2-4 Panama took care of business with a convincing victory over Cuba, their direct rival in Group D, to secure a Second Round berth. However, when the level of competition rose against Argentina, the team was thoroughly outplayed. The reality is that across their four games against Uruguay and Argentina, Panama was only truly competitive once.
11. CHI (+4)
Record: 2-4 Chile made the biggest jump in this edition of the rankings. This comes after completing a perfect window with road victories over Colombia and Venezuela, two teams that entered in a stronger position. Those results secured Chile's first-ever qualification to the Second Round of the World Cup Qualifiers. Simply reaching the next stage already makes their campaign a success.
12. COL (-1)
Record: 2-4
Colombia recovered from home defeats to Brazil and Chile by defeating Venezuela in the rescheduled Window 1 game played on Wednesday night. That victory was enough to secure second place in Group C and clinch a berth in the Second Round. Qualification remained in doubt longer than expected, but the team ultimately achieved the objective.
DISCLAIMER: Power Rankings are entirely subjective and in no way represent an official or accurate classification system. All comments reflect solely the opinion of the author.
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