Liman Huishan NE win FIBA 3x3 World Tour Utrecht Masters 2022
UTRECHT (Netherlands) - Last year's World Tour winners Liman Huishan NE (SRB) won their first-ever FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters of 2022 in Utrecht on September 25.
The Serbian squad, who had won five straight Challengers (World Tour qualifiers) but were yet to win a Masters this year, finished their draught at the Utrecht Masters, after defeating Paris (FRA), 21-15 in the final.
Liman jumped to a 7-0 lead and never looked back. The number four 3x3 player in the world Stefan Kojic was on fire all weekend and the final was his masterpiece. The 30-year-old recorded the only triple-five of the event, with 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 highlights. He topped all players in scoring and player value and took home the MVP trophy.
Alex Vialaret had a game-high 10 points in the final for Paris, who - on their first World Tour appearance - tied the best-ever result by a French team on the Tour. Paris silenced the passionate Dutch crowd twice on Sunday, after hitting Amsterdam HiPRO and Utrecht with a pair of Maurice Lacroix buzzer-beaters in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively.
In the individual contests, Karlis Apsitis (Ventspils, LAT), took home the Maurice Lacroix shoot-out contest, while Joel Henry (GBR) won the Talent & Pro Dunk Contest.
The Utrecht Masters was the first-ever World Tour event organized by an NGO - 3x3Unites - who uses 3x3 to connect and empower people.
FINAL STANDINGS
1. Liman Huishan NE (SRB)
2. Paris (FRA)
3. Sakiai Gulbele (LTU)
4. Utrecht (NED)
5. Amsterdam HiPro (NED)
6. Vienna (AUT)
7. Belgrade Partizan (SRB)
8. Antwerp (BEL)
9. Marijampole Mantinga (LTU)
10. Lublin Lotto (POL)
11. Constanta CSU Neptun (ROU)
12. IJmuiden (NED)
13. Ventspils (LAT)
14. Venice FDC (ITA)
The FIBA 3x3 World Tour is back next weekend (October 1-2) with the Cebu Masters.
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Exciting, urban and innovative, 3x3 is inspired by several forms of streetball played worldwide and is considered the world’s number one urban team sport. Steered by FIBA, games see two teams of three players face off on a basketball half-court.
It was played successfully for the first time in international competition at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and since then has benefited from the launch of a yearly professional circuit for men and women (World Tour and Women’s Series respectively) and national-team competitions.
3x3 made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Wilson is the Global Ball Partner. Wilson is also the Apparel Partner, Maurice Lacroix the Official Timekeeper and Chooks-to-Go the Global Partner of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour 2022.
FIBA 3x3 events are played on Enlio floors with Wilson balls, Schelde backstops, Bodet shot-clocks and the Magic Sky canopy system.
For further information about 3x3, visit fiba3x3.basketball, FIBA 3x3 accounts on Douyin, Facebook, Instagram, Sina Weibo, Tencent, TikTok, Twitch, Twitter, Youku and YouTube or contact 3x3@fiba.basketball.