Brazil ended the first phase of the AmeriCup, the Copa América of men’s basketball, which is played at Arena Geraldão, in Recife, with 100% success. This Monday (5), the Brazilians beat Uruguay by 76 to 66, in a turnaround, for the third and final round of Group A.
Uruguayan point guard Luciano Parodi, with 17 points, was the scorer of the match. The Brazilian pivot Cristiano Felício, with 14 points and nine rebounds, in turn, ended up being chosen as the best on the court.
The Brazilians concluded their participation in Group A with three wins in three games and 59 points scored. The home team awaits the definition of groups B and C to know who they will face in the quarterfinals on Thursday (8), at 20:10 (Brasilia time). The most positive campaign in the first phase will face the weakest performer, the second best will take on the second worst and so on.
Coach Gustavo de Conti selected Brazil with two novelties in relation to the team that beat Colombia on Saturday (3), with center Lucas Mariano and winger/center Rafael Mineiro replacing Augusto Lima and Lucas Dias, respectively. The green and yellow defense, which had been standing out in previous matches, did poorly in the first quarter, yielding 26 points to the Uruguayans, 12 of which were three-pointers. With nine points, Parodi was the highlight of the opening ten minutes.
With the entries of Felício, winger/guard Georginho, point guard Yago and winger Didi, in the course of the first half, the Brazilians showed a reaction in the second period, but the low use in the shots (six in 17 attempts, 11 of three points, with only two hits) had little impact on the rival’s advantage. Uruguay went into the break winning 43-35, still led by Parodi.
The scenario changed in the second half, with Felício dominating the paint and Lucas Mariano, back on the court and sharp in his shots. The defense also adjusted, allowing Uruguay just 13 points. With three minutes to go in the third quarter, Yago hit a three-ball and put Brazil ahead for the first time. Gustavinho’s selection went into the final ten minutes winning by 58 to 57, scoring 22 points in the period.
The advantage reassured Brazil. Worn out and well-marked, Uruguay hit only four of the 12 shots they tried, while the hosts had an almost perfect use in the paint, with five successful shots and just one mistake. The Brazilians managed the result and even increased the advantage, making it 19 to 10 in the period and making the fans party in Geraldão.
Four-time champions, Brazil haven’t won the tournament since 2009, when they beat hosts Puerto Rico in the final. In the previous edition, in 2017, played in Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay, the tenth position (among 12 teams) cost Brazilians a place in the Pan American Games in Lima (Peru), two years later.
