After a group-stage scare, the United States will be advancing to the knockout stage of the FIBA AmeriCup.
The U.S. took down Brazil 90-78 in the final game of the FIBA AmeriCup group stage in Managua, Nicaragua, on Tuesday, securing a spot in the knockout stage as the top finisher in Group A despite starting the day ranked third in the four-team classification.
Sitting at 1-1 entering the game against Brazil, the U.S. were on the outside looking in as Uruguay and the Brazilians had already secured their spots in the next stage. Despite the loss, Brazil will still advance as one of the two wild-card third-place finishers.
The result also benefited Canada, as the Group B winners will move on to the next stage as the top overall seed after finishing 3-0 with a +93 point differential. Brazil was the only team that could’ve overtaken the spot.
Canada will now take on Colombia, the other wild-card team, which finished with a 1-2 record and a -23 differential in the group stage.
As for the Americans, they were helped along by strong performance from G League player Javonte Smart, who finished with a game-high 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting with seven rebounds and four assists.
Former Toronto Raptor Jahmi’us Ramsey added 15 points on seven-of-16 from the field, along with four rebounds.
Brazil, meanwhile, was led by another former Raptor in Bruno Caboclo, who finished with 21 points on eight-of-13 from the field, as well as five rebounds and two steals.
Caboclo went on a tear in the second quarter, scoring 12 points to help his side head into halftime up 46-40.
The Brazilians held the lead heading into the fourth despite a gutsy clawback effort from the Americans in the third. But it all came apart in the final frame.
Brazil was outscored 26-11 in the fourth as the team hit only three field goals on 13 attempts and Ramsey erupted for the Americans with nine points in the quarter.
The Americans snatched back the lead three minutes into the quarter off a Tyler Cavanaugh three-pointer, and after a couple of back-and-forth possessions, pulled away with a 16-4 run in the middle portion of the frame.
With the win, the U.S. now looks ahead to a rematch with Uruguay, which it lost to 86-85 in the group stage.
Brazil will match up against the Dominican Republic, which went 3-0 to win Group C.
