MIAMI (United States) — From June 30 to July 6, teams in the Americas will battle across the continent with hopes of improving their record and, for some, securing a place in the Second Round of the Qualifiers. While national teams are gearing up for the third window contests, Window 2, which took place in February and March, proved pivotal in shaping the path to Doha, Qatar for a spot in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027. Take a look back on the best players, teams, performances and records that were set during Window 2:
The players
Marcus Carr (CAN)
Canada could not have asked for much more from Carr, who averaged 26.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists, as the North American nation went 2-0 to maintain their perfect record thus far. He poured in 35 points and 9 assists against Puerto Rico before having 17 points and 9 assists versus Jamaica.
Joaquin Rodriguez (URU)
Uruguay went 2-0 during Window 2, as Rodriguez showed out in the victories over Argentina and Cuba. In the upset win over Argentina, the No. 8 team in the FIBA World Rankings, presented by Nike, Rodriguez scored a game-high 20 points and added 4 rebounds and 6 assists. He followed that up with 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists versus Cuba.
Brandon Knight (USA)
In his third and fourth career games for USA, Knight starred. He opened Window 2 by logging 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting versus the Dominican Republic, and just days later, he led the red, white, and blue to a blowout victory over Mexico with 18 points and 8 assists.
Ismael Romero (PUR)
A veteran, Romero continued his steady production for his Caribbean nation in Window 2 by averaging 18.0 points and 9.0 rebounds on 63.6 percent shooting. In Puerto Rico’s win over the Bahamas, he tallied a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double, leading the game in both categories.
Leo Meindl (BRA)
Meindl and Brazil have asserted dominance over Group C and is undefeated through two windows of play. In Window 2, the forward had 25 points against Venezuela before posting 16 points and 5 rebounds in a 29-point victory over Colombia.
The teams
Uruguay
Uruguay has been one of the biggest stories of the Americas Qualifiers. In Window 2, the team knocked off Argentina with a 61-44 blowout win. Uruguay remains unbeaten 4-0 and will host Argentina in this window with hopes to sweep their South American counterpart. Uruguay has not qualified for the FIBA World Cup since 1986 but is positioning itself to reach international basketball’s premier competition.
Dominican Republic
Sitting atop Group A is not the United States of America. It’s the Dominican Republic, which went 2-0 during Window 2 with a historic 87-79 win over the USA, the No. 1 team in the FIBA World Rankings, presented by Nike. The Dominican Republic followed that victory up with a 86-61 pummeling of Nicaragua. The Caribbean side will have another chance to beat the United States in Window 3, as it will host the North Americans in Santo Domingo.
The individual performances
Marcus Carr (CAN)
Carr’s 35-point, 9-assist showing was one of the best individual performances in Americas Qualifiers history. His 35 points marked the most points scored by any player in Window 2 and is just the fifth performance of 35+ points in Americas Qualifiers history. In addition, he shot 11-of-23 from the floor while draining all 11 of his free throw attempts. His performance was incredibly timely, too, coming in an overtime win to help keep the Canadians undefeated.
Facundo Campazzo (ARG)
An Argentinian legend, Campazzo has shown no signs of slowing down. Just weeks before his 35th birthday, Campazzo dropped 25 points and 10 assists with 6-of-12 shooting from three-point range in a 101-75 victory over Panama. He was the first player in Americas Qualifiers history to have at least 25+ points and 10+ assists in a game.
Franco Miller & Tavario Miller (BAH)
Cousins Franco Miller and Tavario Miller were critical to the Bahamas’ first win of the Qualifiers, as they led their nation to a 99-96 win over Jamaica. Franco dropped 32 points and 6 assists on 12-of-26 shooting, draining 6 threes, while Tavario had 22 points and 8 rebounds on an incredibly efficient 10-of-12 clip. With multiple NBA players set to potentially appear for the Bahamas this summer, this victory could prove crucial in Bahamas’ bid to reach the Second Round.
The records
Window 2 saw the United States break two Americas Qualifiers records and tie another. On March 1, the USA’s 123-88 victory over Mexico marked one of the most impressive offensive displays in competition history.
Here’s how the record books were rewritten:
The United States had 46 made field goals in the win, beating their own previous high of 45 in a victory over Uruguay back in 2018
The USA dished out 36 assists, breaking the previous record of 35, which was held by Brazil and was set against Colombia in 2022
The team’s 123 points tied the Americas Qualifiers record it set against Nicragua on December 1 in Window 1
Uruguay’s defensive effort against Argentina also ranks among the finest performances in the history of its senior national team.
The 44 points allowed by Uruguay mark the best defensive performance in the team’s history in the Qualifiers, surpassing the 49 points they conceded to Paraguay twice during the Qualifiers for the FIBA World Cup 2019
44 points is also the lowest point total Argentina has ever scored in a game in the competition. Their previous low was 58 against Venezuela in February 2022
FIBA