The FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2025 kicked off with plenty of excitement in Singapore. Defending champions Unicaja started their campaign with a strong win, while NBA G League United pulled off a thrilling victory with a shot right at the final buzzer.
Day one showed two very different paths to victory. Unicaja displayed solid, controlled basketball, relying on tough defense to secure their win. Meanwhile, G League United’s game was a rollercoaster, going from a huge lead to a nail-biting finish that came down to the very last second.
🏆 Unicaja Shows Champion Form
Unicaja began their title defense with a convincing 73-61 victory over Al Ahli SC. The Spanish team led from start to finish, building a lead of up to 17 points. Their defense was key, holding Al Ahli to just 3-for-23 shooting from three-point range. Tyson Perez led Unicaja with 16 points, supported by James Webb III and Tyler Kalinoski, who each scored 12. For Al Ahli, Ivan Almeida put up a game-high 21 points.
🤯 G League United Wins at the Buzzer
In the tournament’s opening game, NBA G League United narrowly defeated Flamengo 93-91 in a dramatic finish. After building a massive 23-point lead, G League United saw it disappear as Flamengo fought back. With the game tied, Jaden Shackelford hit a tough game-winning shot as time expired, sealing the win. Feron Hunt was the top scorer for his team with 24 points, while Shackelford added 20.
🗓️ What to Expect Next
The tournament features six teams divided into two groups, playing in a round-robin format until Saturday. On Sunday, teams will play in classification games to determine the final first, third, and fifth-place rankings. Next up, Unicaja will face Japan’s Utsunomiya Brex in what promises to be another exciting matchup.
