12 Oct 2014
SENDAI, Japan (FIBA 3x3 World Tour) - Team Novi Sad (SRB) dominated Saskatoon (CAN) 21-11 in Sunday’s Final of the third edition of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour, which was held in the state-of-the-art Xebio Arena in Sendai, Japan.
After losing in the Final last year in Istanbul, Novi Sad came back to the FIBA 3x3 World Tour this season with two additions, including sharpshooter Dejan Majstorovic, who topped all scorers at the event and won the Samsung Shoot-Out Contest.
The 26 year-old showcased his shooting touch in the Final, scoring 10 points, including three two-pointers from behind the arc. The number one 3x3 player in the world in FIBA’s 3x3 Individual World Ranking, Dusan Domovic Bulut added six points while Marko Savic and Marko Zdero contributed three and two points respectively.
After scoring eight two-pointers in the opener against Trbovlje (SLO), Willie Murdaugh could not connect from long range in the Final. In fact none of the Saskatoon players scored from downtown against Novi Sad. Murdaugh and Michael Linklater were held to four points and Michael Lieffers and O’Neil Gordon had two and one points respectively.
Saskatoon qualified for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Final by winning the Chicago Masters while Novi Sad triumphed at the Prague Masters. The 2014 FIBA 3x3 World Tour featured a record six Masters, starting on 19-20 July in Manila and also stopping in Beijing, Lausanne and Rio de Janeiro. The Final saw the winners of a 3x3 event staged in Japan, the winners of the Beijing Masters and the two finalists of the other five Masters (twelve total teams).
By winning the 2014 FIBA 3x3 World Tour, Novi Sad came home with a $20,000 USD cheque and a ticket to the FIBA 3x3 All Stars, an event with $120,000 USD in prize money, which is staged in Doha, Qatar on 12 December 2014. Saskatoon won $5,000 USD for finishing second.
In the Nike Dunk Contest, Rafal ‘Lipek’ Lipinski (POL) remained the uncontested FIBA 3x3 World Tour dunk champion for the third consecutive year after flying over Manila West top scorer Terrence Romeo standing on a chair in the Final.
Final Standings of the 2014 FIBA 3x3 World Tour Final
1. Novi Sad (SRB)
2. Saskatoon (CAN)
3. Kranj (SLO)
4. Bucharest (ROU)
5. Manila West (PHI)
6. Trbovlje (SLO)
7. Jakarta (INA)
8. Denver (USA)
9. Santos (BRA)
10. Sao Paulo (BRA)
11. Kobe (JPN)
12. Wukesong (CHN)
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About FIBA and 3x3 basketball
Exciting, urban and innovative, 3x3 basketball is inspired by several forms of streetball played worldwide. 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 benefitted from the launch of a yearly city-based 3x3 World Tour (www.3x3worldtour.com) and national-team world championships.
For further information about the FIBA 3x3 World Tour and 3x3 basketball, visit fiba.com/3x3, twitter.com/3x3planet and youtube.com/3x3planet or contact 3x3@fiba.com.
FIBA