Ub and Miami have top billing at FIBA 3x3 World Tour Jeddah Final 2023
JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia) - This spectacular FIBA 3x3 World Tour 2023 season comes down to the grand decider at the Jeddah Final on December 8-9.
The best teams from the regular season will be fighting for the crown and that just means the draw is absolutely stacked with talent.
As they've been the whole season, Ub Huishan NE (SRB) are the No.1 seed and headline a tough Pool A featuring Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU) and Beijing (CHN).
Ub won the first six Masters of the season in a record streak but have gone cold since. They'll be led by top-ranked Strahinja Stojacic as they face tough tests early.
Ub and Raudondvaris have played each other recently in semis in Hong Kong and Wuxi with the teams splitting the games.
Ub will also face familiar foe Nauris Miezis, who leads Beijing into their first World Tour Final. The Serbs beat Beijing in the semis at Manila and Macau en route to titles.
Beijing, who are titleless on the World Tour, split their two games against Debrecen Masters champs Raudondvaris.
In-form Miami (USA) enter as arguably the hottest team having gone within an inch of winning their last three Masters stops in a row. But they will face similarly in-form Partizan Mozzart (SRB) in a Pool B blockbuster pitting snipers Jimmer Fredette and Stefan Milivojevic against each other.
Miami have the edge in the match-up after emerging victorious in the semi-finals in Amsterdam and the final in Abu Dhabi.
It's not a two horse race with Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy (MGL) the third team in Pool B to have won a Masters in 2023. The Mongolians had an unforgettable win over Miami in Macau before the Americans gained revenge in Cebu.
Ulaanbaatar beat Partizan en route to their historic triumph in Shanghai to avenge a loss at the Utsunomiya Opener.
In Pool C, third seed Liman Huishan NE (SRB) won the World Tour Final two years ago, but may start as underdogs against Amsterdam HiPRO (NED), who are fresh from their drought-breaking title in Hong Kong.
The Dutchmen will feel extra confident having easily defeated Liman at the Amsterdam Masters, where scoring machine Worthy de Jong was typically unstoppable.
On their road to the title in Hong Kong, Amsterdam also beat Lausanne Sport LS (SUI), who have been in strong late season form to qualify for the showpiece event.
Pool D is highlighted by a blockbuster between Vienna (AUT) and Antwerp TOPdesk (BEL), who have both won titles on this season's World Tour.
The Austrians beat Antwerp in their first game of the season at the Utsunomiya Opener, but that's now a long time ago and both teams are looking to finish with a bang.
The third team from Pool D will emerge from the World Tour Final's first ever play-in, which features San Juan (PUR), Paris (FRA) and host Jeddah (KSA).
FIBA