Chris Duarte Makes Successful Debut in FIBA Intercontinental Cup
The Dominican basketball player Chris Duarte had a promising debut with Unicaja de Málaga this Thursday, contributing five points in his team’s victory (61-73) over Alahli of Libya in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2025, held in Singapore.
Duarte, former NBA player, demonstrated his quality by scoring a two-point shot and a three-pointer in two attempts. In addition, he grabbed two defensive rebounds and dished out an assist, achieving a rating of seven credits in his first game with the Andalusian team.
Unicaja’s offense was led by his compatriot Tyson Pérez, who scored 16 points, making a significant difference in a low-scoring game overall. Tyler Kalinoski and James Webb III also had outstanding performances, both with 12 points.
From Alahli of Libya, Ivan Almeida, from Cape Verde, shone with 21 points, and Ismael Romero contributed 20, although their efforts were not enough against the superiority of the Spanish team.
With this victory, the current Intercontinental Cup champion will depend on themselves in their next Group A match, where they will face Utsunomiya Brex of Japan this Friday. The goal is to secure a place in Sunday’s final, where they will seek to revalidate the title won in 2024, also in Asia.
The match was characterized by a start with low shooting percentages. However, Unicaja managed to impose its rhythm in the second half thanks to its defensive solidity and greater rotation, ensuring a victorious debut in the international tournament.
