The Polideportivo Islas Malvinas owed Argentina a win. On that same court in February 2023, the Dominican Republic knocked the Argentine team out of the World Cup. Three and a half years later, Pablo Prigioni's squad returned to Mar del Plata with a different story: an 89-75 victory over Puerto Rico in the opening of the second round of the Americas Qualifiers and a 6-1 record in Group F that is starting to smell like a ticket to Qatar 2027.
Half an hour of tension, ten minutes of execution
Argentina opened with accurate three-point shooting and punishing turnovers, but the game remained tight. The Puerto Rican team found rhythm with three-pointers from Gian Clavell and with José Alvarado growing into the game, even taking the lead late in the second quarter. A pick-and-roll from Bolmaro with Cáffaro left it at 43-42 at halftime, a minimal home advantage in a game that was drifting.
The third quarter was a different story. Prigioni turned up the pressure on the ball, Campazzo took control, and Bolmaro handled the execution. From 43-42 to 64-54 at the end of the period, and from there Argentina didn't allow another Puerto Rico run: each comeback attempt crashed against the home defense, with Deck moving without the ball to punish in the paint.
The usual four
Gabriel Deck was the game's leading scorer with 23 points (8/13 from the field) and six rebounds. Leandro Bolmaro, returning to the national team from Olimpia Milano, added 19 and also served as the primary defender. Facundo Campazzo posted a double-double of 13 points and 10 assists, and Nicolás Laprovittola contributed 12 off the bench. The four of them accounted for 75% of Argentina's scoring, a stat that speaks both to their level and the team's continued dependence on them.
Puerto Rico left with the feeling of having hurt itself. José Alvarado scored 19 despite the staggered defense Argentina mounted on him, and Ethan Thompson, recently signed by Partizan, added 13. But the Puerto Ricans committed 17 turnovers that turned into 21 points for their opponents and shot just 13 of 24 from the free-throw line, with Ysmael Romero a disastrous 2 of 8. "We threw the ball away," summarized coach Carlos González in a press conference, according to El Nuevo Día.
What's at stake
With this result, Argentina moves to 6-1 and puts pressure on Canada (leaders) and Uruguay in a Group F that is completed by the Bahamas, Panama, and a Puerto Rico team that falls to 2-5 and enters emergency territory. The top three from each group, plus the best fourth-place finisher between both groups, earn the seven American spots.
The window closes on Monday the 31st with two maximum-difficulty games: Argentina travels to Quebec to face Canada and Puerto Rico visits Uruguay needing a win. After that, in November, the Argentine team will host the Bahamas and Canada before closing the qualifying phase between February and March 2027 with visits to Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.