PENANG (Malaysia) – A courageous Novi Sad (SRB) were pushed to the limit by in-form Edmonton (CAN) but returned to winning fashion at the third 3x3 Challenger of the season in Penang, Malaysia, on May 11-12, 2019.

Here’s what happened.

The winners: Novi Sad (SRB)

The No.1 team in the world had to do it the hard way in the last-minute absence of Dusan Bulut. The three-man lineup of Dejan Majstorovic, Marko Zdero and Marko Savic produced a gutsy performance and overcame an early loss to Edmonton in the pool stage to beat the Canadians in the final.

Much to their delight, Novi Sad thrillingly beat their Serbian rivals Liman (SRB) 21-19 in the quarter-finals in the latest chapter between the two best teams in the world. It was sweet revenge for Novi Sad, whose 35-game winning streak ended at the hands of Liman during last month’s Doha Masters.

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Never underestimate the heart of a champion 💪 @Dejan.Majstorovic8

Una publicación compartida de FIBA3x3 (@fiba3x3) el 12 May, 2019 a las 2:00 PDT

They were:
Number 1 in points per game.
Number 2 and 3 in one-point and two-point percentage.

Majstorovic reminded everyone why he is 'The Maestro' in Malaysia. In the knockout stages, Majstorovic stepped up with a dominant 15 points against Liman, 16 versus Tokyo Dime (JPN) in the semis and then a game-high 9 points in the final.

He was splashing from another postcode but also deadly from inside to deservedly win the MVP after finishing with an incredible 57 points (34 from behind the arc).

MVP 🚿🚿 for Dejan "The Maestro" Majstorovic pic.twitter.com/kKfZPX0oFm
— FIBA3x3 (@FIBA3x3) May 12, 2019

The runners-up: Edmonton (CAN)

The new team on the block continues to prove they are the real deal after winning the Nanjing Challenger last month. The ninth seeds made an early statement by beating Novi Sad and their giant killing run included beating Russian teams Moscow Inanomo and Gagarin in the knockout stages.

Inside and outside game hard to stop: Kyle Landry was unstoppable inside with an incredible 21 of 22 from inside the arc. But Edmonton also had the 2-point weapon with a tournament best 33% from beyond the arc.

That was thanks to sharpshooter Steve Sir who proved why he is a world class sniper with an impressive 10 of 22 from 2-point range.

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Made a light trip to Penang, Malaysia this weekend and punched our ticket to the Mexico City Masters Love this group, the toughness, the commitment to preparation and compete level. Step by step, bit by bit, just like the Boss said that spark is turning into a fire. Very important, a Happy Mother's Day to our wonderful wives. Staying up late to watch games, taking care of kiddos, holding it down at home. We couldn't pursue this without you ladies, thank you. @cmebbers @bettyjane_hb @anyalandry Thank you @worldhoopsmedia and @fiba3x3 for another amazing event #3x3WT #3x3challenger #fiba3x3 #yeg3x3 #basketball #penang #malaysia #team #travel #mexicocity #mexico #yeg #edmonton

A post shared by Steve Sir (@steve_sir_) on May 12, 2019 at 9:16am PDT

The final: Novi Sad 21-Edmonton 17

The Serbs usually play their best on the big stage and this was no exception as they raced out of the blocks faster than Usain Bolt. Majstorovic continued his hot form with a couple of two-pieces to give Novi Sad a commanding 11-4 lead.

It looked like an easy win until Edmonton found their groove. 25-year-old Jordan Jensen-Whyte played tough defense to force Novi Sad into turnovers. Landry and Jermaine Bucknor feasted inside to get the Canadians within two.

But, fittingly, Majstorovic iced the game at the line to seal Novi Sad’s crown.

The reward: Two tickets to the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Mexico City Masters

Novi Sad and Edmonton won their tickets to the third Masters of the season in Mexico City. They join Riga (LAT) and Princeton (USA) - who qualified based on ranking.

Final Standings:
1. Novi Sad (SRB)
2. Edmonton (CAN)
3. Gagarin (RUS)
4. Tokyo Dime (JPN)
5. Liman (SRB)
…

Top Scorers:
1. Dejan Majstorovic (Novi Sad, SRB) 57pts
2. Jermaine Bucknor (Edmonton, CAN) 35pts
3. Marko Savic (Novi Sad, SRB) 30pts
4. Kyle Landry (Edmonton, CAN) 28pts
5. Steve Sir (Edmonton, CAN) 27pts

Key Stats:
- Novi Sad were the only top four seed to make it to the semi-finals.
- Darwin’s (AUS) win over Dalat (MAL) in the qualifying draw was the fastest game of the tournament (6'16" of playing time).
- Jermaine Bucknor beasted on the boards averaging a tournament high 4.6 per game on the defensive end but he was sloppy with the ball committing an event-high 3.2 turnovers per game.
- Dejan Majstorovic was named MVP of the Penang Challenger. He averaged an incredible 11.4 points per game and accounted for almost 56% of his team’s points.

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For the win! 🏀❄️ . . . #3x3 #basketball #streetball #basketballplayer #basketballtime #penang #malaysia #malaysian #kosarka #hoops #ball #baller #srbija #srbijainstagram #novisad #serbia #basket #tournament #asia #ballislife

A post shared by Dejan Majstorovic (@dejan.majstorovic8) on May 12, 2019 at 2:05am PDT

Next Challenger: Kunshan, China (May 18-19)

FIBA

Aug 3, 2019
TIME	TEAM	SCORE	POOL	LINK
4:30 PM	Novi Sad Humpolec	21 9	Pool A	Alternate link to 4:30 PM game.
6:10 PM	Novi Sad Ventspils	13 10	Pool A	Alternate link to 6:10 PM game.
Aug 4, 2019
TIME	TEAM	SCORE	POOL	LINK
2:15 PM	Novi Sad Riga	18 19	Quarter-Finals	Alternate link to 2:15 PM game.

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