2018 3x3 World Tour: Prague Masters Review
There was not let up from the 3x3 World Tour, as the next stop proved just as exciting, dramatic and with great shows of basketball as the previous two weekends had.
Despite being ranked number one in the world, Novi Sad had to first make it through the qualifying draw. They didn't face much opposition against Antwerp, but host team Prague were a different matter. With one point separating the teams with a minute to go, Dusan Bulut drew the foul and made the game-winning free throw. Winning both qualifying games, Novi Sad won a spot in Pool D. (The remaining fixture was won by Antwerp, 21-18) They also saw this highlight move from Dusan Bulut:
Novi Sad wasted no time stamping their authority in the main tournament, first winning a close, tough game against Belgrade that was won with just over thirty seconds left. They then took down native side Humpolec by a bigger margin, 21-12, leaving the two fight it out for the last quarter final spot. It was close, but Humpolec won out by a single point and would play on day two, much to the delight to the home crowds.
Liman eased past the pool stage with comfortable wins over both Gagarin and Moscow, leaving the two Russian teams to battle it out to make the next round. Good hustle and shot selection saw Gagarin go in front by three after falling behind early on. The game then went back-and-forth and the teams were tied at 20 points with seconds left, when Alexander Zuev put up a Hail Mary shot that hit nothing but net, sending Gagarin through to the quarter finals in dramatic fashion.
Piran added to home woes, opening Pool B with a 19-15 win over Marienbad, who then took on Serbian side Ralja in one of the contested games of the pool stage. Both teams playing tough defence meant it was a low-scoring game, but it was tight throughout. Ralja’s shooting from the line put them three points in front late on, then Marienbad’s Marek Senhal closed the gap with a two with seconds left, but the team could not get another shot off in time.
Ralja looked to build on that in their final pool game, but Piran were able to get it done when and where it mattered, finishing 20-17 in front to seal first place in the pool, while Ralja would settle for second place.
Finalists in Utsunomiya, Amsterdam opened their Prague campaign with a win, 19-15, over Brno, who then lost out at the end of their second encounter with Gdansk, who were showing great team cohesion and were shooting well from outside the arc. This left the two winning teams to face one another, and despite the best efforts of Gdansk's Michael Hicks, it would be Amsterdam who would win by three points and top Pool C.
In the knockout round, two of the remaining big hitters, Novi Sad and Piran, eased their way into the semi-finals with comfortable wins over Ralja and Humpolec respectively. The remaining top seeded teams, though, would - Amsterdam suffered a heavy defeat to Gagarin, while Gdasnk emerged winners of a tough contest against Liman. The final four in Prague was set up to be an intriguing and exciting prospect.
Smart play and sharp shooting from Novi Sad saw them blow out Gdansk, 21-11, on their way to the final, while the other semi-final between Piran and Gagarin was a far closer affair. Piran closed the gap after going down four to Gagarin on two occasions, but a layup from Gagarin's Aleksandr Antonikovskii and Dmitrii Cherubkin converted a free-throw off a foul to take them up to 21 points, and one of the lowest-rated teams in Prague were now in the final.
With a highly dominant performance in the final. Novi Sad went the entire game not troubled by Gagarin, and finished the game ahead 21 points to 12 to win the game and their second title of the 2018 3x3 World Tour.
As well as all the excitement in the main draw, there was also plenty on show in the Dunk Contest:
The end of the month will bring the next stop on the 3x3 World Tour, the Lausanne Masters will get underway on the 24th and 25th of August. Until then, everything on 3x3 basketball and the World Tour can be found on the official website.
