Luis Scola led Argentina to a 91-86 win over Puerto Rico as the FIBA Americas Championship started on Monday.

Scola's double-double of 22 points and 14 rebounds guided his nation to the tough five-point win in Mexico City.

Andres Nocioni (14 points and 12 rebounds) and Patricio Garino (19 points) were also instrumental in the Group B win for two-time champions Argentina.

Dallas Mavericks guard JJ Barea starred for Puerto Rico with 20 points and 10 assists, but they were outscored in the final three quarters after opening with a 30-24 lead.

Also in Group B, Venezuela enjoyed a 73-52 victory over Cuba.

Marquinhos dominated with 21 points and nine rebounds for Brazil, who went down to Uruguay 71-57 in Group A, while hosts and defending champions Mexico had no trouble getting past the Dominican Republic 84-66.