Novi Sad Al Wahda (UAE) successfully defended their FIBA 3×3 World Tour title after defeating Kranj (SLO) (17-14) in the title game in Abu Dhabi.
The reigning champions had a perfect 5-0 record in the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Final in a full-house outdoors venue at the Corniche.
The number one 3×3 player in the world, Dusan Domovic Bulut, lived up to his reputation in the capital, leading all scorers with 42 points and winning MVP honours.
He had a game-high eight points in the championship game, which his team dominated from the start. It was the third straight year that Novi Sad Al Wahda beat Kranj at some stage of the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Final.
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The sharpshooting Dejan Majstorovic contributed sixpoints in the game. In a losing effort, speedy playmaker Boris Jersin netted seven points and Mensud Julevic added five.
Kranj qualified for the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Final by winning the Prague Masters while Novi Sad Al Wahda had won two Masters in the same year in Manila and Rio de Janeiro.
While Novi Sad Al Wahda went undefeated in Abu Dhabi, the team had to defeat the city’s Filipino community which came to support Manila North and their star player Calvin ‘The Beast’ Abueva in the quarter-finals.
In possibly even more dramatic circumstances, Bulut’s men stunned Trbovlje (SLO) in the semi-finals in overtime after being down by two in the closing seconds of regulation.
Another reigning champ kept his crown in Abu Dhabi. Polish professional dunker Rafal ‘Lipek’ Lipinski (Poland) made history by winning the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Dunk Competition for the fourth straight year. He edged out Jordan Kilganon (Canada) in the final. Denver’s Derek Griffin won the Shoot-Out Contest.
