Ub win their first FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters in Debrecen

DEBRECEN (Hungary) - Ub (SRB) took home their first FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters trophy in Debrecen, Hungary after narrowly edging out Riga (LAT) in the final on August 28-29, 2021.

The World Tour never ceases to amaze as the first three events of the season all went to first-time Masters winners (Amsterdam Talent&Pro (NED) in Doha and San Juan (PUR) in Lausanne).

Things did not look so good for Ub, who trailed the entire game until a big shot from beyond the arc courtesy of Miroslav Pasajlic gave the Serbs their first lead (20-18) with 80 seconds to go in regular time.

The 26-year-old exploded for a team-high 8 points in the final for the winners, won the scoring charts and received the MVP title from Russian basketball legend and FIBA 3x3 Commission Chairman Andrei Kirilenko.

With the game on the line, Marko Brankovic buried his second free throw. Just one week after falling just short of their first Masters win in Lausanne, Ub took home the 40,000 USD winning cheque this time.

It wasn't win number one on the World Tour for Ub star Dejan Majstorovic. In fact, the recent Olympic bronze medalist celebrated his 20th event title on the World Tour in Debrecen. The former number one player in the world led his team in player value.

Missing two of their Olympic champions, Riga (LAT) were still phenomenal in Debrecen (4 wins, 1 loss), especially Nauris Miezis, who topped all players in key assists, drives and player value.

In the individual contests, Vadim 'Miller' Poddubchenko (UKR) flew higher than a drone in the Globus Dunk Contest while Arvin Slagter (Amsterdam Talent&Pro, NED) sank all three money balls to win the Wilson Shoot-out Contest.

All the health and safety measures requested by local and national authorities and the Guidelines for the Return to Basketball, developed by the FIBA Medical Advisory Group (MAG), which were successfully introduced last season, were implemented once again.

DEBRECEN MASTERS STANDINGS
1. Ub (SRB)
2. Riga (LAT)
3. Amsterdam Talent&Pro (NED)
4. Sakiai Gulbele (LTU)
5. Liman (SRB)
6. Piran (SLO)
7. Antwerp (BEL)
8. Graz (AUT)
9. Lausanne Sport (SUI)
10. Novi Sad (SRB)
11. Debrecen (HUN)
12. Emona (SLO)
13. Warsaw (POL)
14. Paris Tchaff (FRA)

The fourth FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters of the season will take place in Montreal, Canada in a week on September 4-5.

###

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 city-based FIBA 3x3 World Tour and national-team FIBA 3x3 World & Continental Cups.

On July 24, 2021, 3x3 made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games.

Wilson is the Global Ball and Apparel Partner and Tissot the Official Timekeeper of FIBA 3x3.

FIBA 3x3 events are played on Enlio floors with Wilson balls, Schelde backstops, and the Magic Sky canopy system.

For further information about 3x3, visit fiba3x3.basketball, FIBA 3x3 accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Sina Weibo, Tencent, TikTok, Twitter, Youku , YouTube and Twitch or contact 3x3@fiba.basketball.