2018 FIBA Americas League Group B Full Report
The historical city of Talca in central Chile saw played host to an excellent phase of this year's FIBA Americas League. Espanol de Talca were the home side in Group B, and they would be facing some tough competition: Mogi Das Cruzes and Paulistano, two of Brazil's most prominent basketball teams, and reigning Argentinian champions San Lorenzo de Almagro. It looked like sparks would fly, and they did:
The group opened with a game that was close throughout between Mogi Das Cruzes and San Lorenzo de Almagro - San Lorenzo had the edge from the field and on defence, while Das Cruzes kept themselves in it with excellent shooting from outside the arc, with Shamell Stallowrth making five of Mogi's 13 three-pointers in the game. With little choose between the teams, San Lorenzo took a big step towards the win with five successive points as the game transitioned to the final stage. Down the stretch, Selem Safar made a decisive three-point play from the foul line, which would be what would win it for San Lorenzo. Darquavis Tucker had an astonishing 33 points in the game for San Lorezno as they begin their 2018 Americas League with the best possible start.
Home side Talca had a great start against Paulistano, leading by fifteen points in the first quarter. Their momentum would not last long, though: a fourteen-point run from Paulistano in the second quarter put them in front, and the remainder of the quarter was a heated affair as teams jostled for the lead. Tacla did re-take the lead, but 31 second-half points from Paulistino, including a run of thirteen, took them furthest into the lead they had been in the game at 17 points. Tacla managed to claw some back, but in the end still lost by 82 points to 94. There was a total of 28 three-pointers in this game - 15 for Paulistano, 13 for Tacla - and both teams put on excellent shooting displays, but it was Paulistano who walked away with the most pride.
Group B's two Brazilian teams produced the biggest clash of the tournament so far. Paulistano's shooting from all distances put them up by ten early on, and it took Mogi Das Cruzes to the final phase of the game to put themselves back within contention. Larry Taylor put Das Cruzes to within one point of their compatriots, and despite the best efforts of Paulistano's shooters, Mogi would not back down. Taylor was joined by Jimmy Oliveira, Shammell Stallworth and the game's top scorer Tyrone Cunnell, who had 21 points and 9 rebounds, in Mogi's continued pressure on Paulistano. Although Das Cruzes went down by five with a minute left, that deficit was quickly reduced by Taylor and Stallworth, who made a final layup on the buzzer to bring an end to this Americas League classic with his team on top by one.
The second game of the day was a more one-sided affair. San Lorenzo de Almagro ran rampant against Tacla, forcing the Chilean side into eighteen turnovers, off which San Lorenzo scored 31 points and kept scoring off the fast break. While on offence, they scored two-thirds of all shot attempts from close-range, ending with a total 56 points in the paint - all San Lorenzo players made the scoresheet, four of them in double figures.
Despite their best efforts, there was nothing Tacla could do in response. They led on the offensive boards, but that couldn't prevent them going down to San Lorenzo 116 points to 51.
San Lorenzo de Almagro had an early lead against Paulistano, but it didn’t take the Brazilian team long to respond. Seven points in succession late in the first quarter took them from eight down to within one, and the game was on. Good all-around play from Yago Dos Santos saw Paulistano contest the slender lead at the mid-stage of the game. After fifteen lead changes, though, San Lorenzo's low-post play and work on defence saw them up by seven as the game began to wind down. A large portion of Derek Ramos’s 27 points for Paulistano came in the final quarter, but by contesting every shot both on offence and defence and working hard to keep possession, San Lorenzo managed to keep their heads above water and end the group with a spotless record, winning against Paulistano 87 to 82.
Paulistano’s loss meant Mogi Das Cruzes had an open look at a spot in the next round, but it would have to come at the expense of home side Talca. From the start, it was obvious the Brazilian side were in control, dominating possession and firing well from long-range. Talca would not go down without a fight, though, with Albert Jackson making his presence under the basket felt. However, it seemed there was nothing the Chilean team could do to faze Mogi Das Cruzes, who were cool and confident and kept finding the best shots on the floor throughout the game. The difference in skill and ability was evident in the scoreline, as Mogi advance to the next round with a 105-69 win.
Action in the Americas League will resume on February 2nd, when Group C gets underway in Corrientes, Argentina. Until then, for updates and more information on all games so far, visit the tournament's official website.
