The Argentine national team, penalized by the absences of Facundo Campazzo, Gabriel Deck and Leandro Bolmaro, achieved a very close victory as a guest of the last team and has already eliminated the Bahamas, in Nassau, by 80-76, and before the victory of the Republic Dominican Republic over Venezuela, the three are tied for second place in Group E of the American qualifiers for the 2023 Basketball World Cup to be played in the Philippines.

After the fifth window of these qualifiers, the Argentine team has the same record as the Dominican Republic and Venezuela (7 wins and three defeats), after the triumph of those led by Néstor “Che” García over the Santo Domingo “vinotinto” from 72 to 68.

The first in this area is the irrepressible selected by Canada, who won the 10 games played, the last one today categorically at home against Panama for 112 to 71.

Given this picture of the situation, the Argentine team will have to compete for qualification next February, when in the last two-game window they will receive, in a yet to be defined venue, the unbeaten and already classified Canada, the most powerful of the group, on 24 of that month, and three days later, on the 27th, against the Dominican Republic, against which they had just lost last Thursday in Santo Domingo 80-69.

The absences of Campazzo and Bolmaro from Cordoba, respectively engaged in their NBA franchises, Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz, as well as that of Deck, from Real Madrid, from Santiago, have negatively affected the performance of those led by Pablo Prigioni in these last two presentations..

On that double day in February, the Dominican Republic will visit Panama on the 24th, the weakest in the area, before traveling to Argentina, while on the same day Venezuela will receive the other eliminated team, the Bahamas, and later Canada on the 27th .

In tonight’s match, Cordoba’s Juan Pablo Vaulet was the top scorer, with 19 points, in the Argentine team led by his co-province Prigioni.