Delhi 3BL and Gagarin snatch last 2 FIBA 3x3 World Tour Bloomage Beijing Final tickets

PENANG (FIBA 3x3 World Tour 2018) - Delhi 3BL (IND) and Gagarin (RUS) joined the list of 12 teams, who will take part in the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Bloomage Beijing Final on October 27-28. 2018.

Ten teams had already secured their ticket to China before the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Penang Masters, which took place on October 13-14: Liman Tesla Voda (SRB) - who won 3 titles and made 8 appearances, Novi Sad Al Wahda (SRB) - who won 5 titles in just 5 appearances, Ljubljana (SLO) - who were the only other team to win a Masters, Riga Ghetto (LAT), Amsterdam Inoxdeals (NED), Piran (SLO), Zemun (SRB), Humpolec Bernard (CZE), Saskatoon (CAN) and Princeton (USA).

These 10 were guaranteed to finish in the Top 12 in the World Tour standings, a prerequisite to make it to the final.

The young Russian team from Gagarin (22 years on average) ranked 10th before the Penang Masters and did not go to Malaysia. In other words, their only hope to qualify was that the teams outside the Top 12  had a short run in Penang.

After the end of Day 1, 4 teams could still leapfrog  Gagarin in the standings (Princeton already did by making it to the quarter-finals): Delhi 3BL (IND), Kranj (SLO), NY Harlem 3BALL USA (USA) and Ralja Intergalactic (SRB).

But on Sunday, 3 of these 4 teams bowed out in the quarter-finals and the NY Harlem team lost in the semi-finals.

Gagarin held on to the 11th spot and Delhi 3BL - who finished 5th in Penang - edged out NY Harlem 3BALL USA (USA) and Ralja Intergalactic (SRB) by just 10 tour points (the difference between finishing 2nd and 3rd at a Masters).

World Tour Standings after 9 Masters (and 12 finalists):

1. Liman Tesla Voda (SRB) 650 pts
2. Novi Sad Al Wahda (SRB) 500 pts
3. Riga Ghetto (LAT) 316 pts
4. Piran (SLO) 315 pts
5. Amsterdam Inoxdeals (NED) 275 pts
6. Zemun (SRB) 195 pts
7. Ljubljana (SLO) 190 pts*
8. Princeton (USA) 189 pts
9. Humpolec Bernard (CZE) 160 pts
10. Saskatoon (CAN) 158 pts
11. Gagarin (RUS) 150 pts
12. Delhi 3BL (IND) 130 pts

* The teams who won a Masters and are therefore automatically qualified to the final rank first according to the FIBA 3x3 Official Rules.

FIBA