Five of the Best 3x3 Games from Canadian Teams
This week saw good and bad news for Canadian basketball fans: the good being that the 3x3 World Tour finally got underway with a week of tournaments in Hungary and Romania. The disappointment was that no competition would feature a team from Canada.
It's a particular shame as the nation has become one of the biggest development centres for 3x3 basketball, with a number of teams who are regular fixtures on the tour - in particular Edmonton, who have made their way into the top ten ranked teams.
In the absence of a Canadian presence in the resumption of the shortened 2020 World Tour, here is a look back at some of the very best performances from Canadian teams in recent 3x3 tournaments - ones that are proof positive of the level of talent coming out of the country.
Ulaanbaatar vs Old Montreal (2018 Saskatoon Masters)
Already down a game, Old Montreal were fighting to stay in this edition of the Saskatoon Masters, but to do so they had to beat Ulaanbaatar, the notoriously tenacious team from the Mongolian capital.
The result was an unforgettable 3x3 match-up, where just a point separated the teams for much of the way and the drama built more and more until the very last seconds.
Amsterdam vs Winnipeg (2019 Saskatoon Masters)
Winnipeg went into this one as the underdogs but used that to their advantage. Taking Amsterdam and onlookers by surprise, they helped produce a game balanced on a knife edge and impossible to call from start to finish. Unfortunately they did not come away with the win to show for it, but it was still an outstanding effort from the Manitobans.
Novi Sad vs Edmonton (2019 Chengdu Masters)
The name Novi Sad would strike fear into anyone who knows anything about 3x3 basketball - apart from, it seems, Edmonton.
With an exemplary show of team work and a game plan which was executed to perfection, Edmonton put the titans of the world tour on the back foot and searching for answers throughout - but it was only until the thrilling conclusion when they seemed to find it.
Canada v Poland (2019 Women's Series in Prague)
The points here came in fast and furiously, from both sides. Having twice taken a five-point lead in the first half of regulation, it looked like the title-deciding game would be plain sailing for Canada. Any complacency had to be put aside when Poland started to produce a come back down the stretch.
A perfect short-range showing from Michelle Plouffe was the guiding light for Canada in this, their strongest show of strength and skill on the world tour for women.
Canada vs Philippines (2018 3x3 World Cup)
The Canadian team of 2018 had more than just their opponents to contend with: facing the host nation, they also had to overcome the non-stop noise of the fans.
They had to watch an early seven-point lead disappear, but there was no time for remorse here - after finding their rhythm, the Philippines were on the war path and what had began as a walk over came down to a moment of heroism from one of the nation's biggest 3x3 heroes, Michael Linklater.
Do you remember any of these games? What have been your favourite 3x3 moments from Canadian outfits? Join the conversation, and start one yourself, by leaving a comment in the field below. Also keep up to date with the first 3x3 tournaments of the year by heading over to the official FIBA website and following the games as they happen.
