Piran dominate Day 1 of FIBA 3x3 World Tour Utsunomiya Masters 2018

UTSUNOMIYA (FIBA 3x3 World Tour) - Piran dominated the opening day of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Utsunomiya Masters 2018 in Japan on July 28.

The runner-ups of the last two editions of the  Utsunomiya Masters were unstoppable on the opening day of the Utsunomiya Masters 2018. The number 3 ranked team in the World  won their 2 games before the limit against Auckland (NZL) and DongGuan MC (CHN). The Sphinx Simon Finzgar was king for Piran with 13 points. 

Liman Tesla Voda (SRB) were a force in Pool A with Ws over local favorites Okayama (JPN), who will join them in the quarter-finals after defeating Dehli 3BL (IND) in a thriller thanks to a game-winner from Devaughn Washington.

A @TISSOT #BuzzerBeater to hype up the crowd courtesy of @dwashington1 #3x3WT

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Zemun came back to their winning ways in Pool C. The reigning World Tour champs didn't create much separation in any of their games but they finished 2-0 the opening day (with a combined advantage of 3 points). Good news for them: 'The Dragon' is back and already breaking ankles. Humpolec Bernard (CZE) will advance to the quarter-finals as well. Melbourne I-Athletic were eliminated after losing both games. 

🐲 Don't do 'em like that @Bogibatina5. #3x3WT

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Last, but not least, Pool D finished with a nail-biter game between Amsterdam Inoxdeals (NED) and 2-time FIBA 3x3 World tour winners Ljubljana (SLO).  With Gangnam ISE (KOR) already eliminated, the Slovenian squad used all their experience to defeat the Dutch squad by just one point (15-14).

Quarter-Final Brackets
Liman Tesla Voda (SRB) v Humpolec Bernard (CZE)
Ljubljana (SLO) v Auckland (NZL)
Piran (SLO) v Amsterdam Inoxdeals (NED)
Zemun (SRB) v Okayama (JPN)

Thomas Garlepp (Melbourne I-Athletic) finished as top scorer of Day 1 after finishing with 17 points on his World Tour debut. Jasmin Hercegovac (Ljubljana) & Ondrej Siska (Humpolec Bernard) trailed the Asia Cup 2018 MVP by just 1 point.

In the Shoot-Out Contest, Dulguun Enkhbat (Ulaanbaatar), Sho Hasegawa (Okayama), Min Seob Kim (Gangnam ISE) and Yosuke Saito (Utsunomiya Brex) advanced to the final. 

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Wilson sponsor logo (Utsunomiya 2018)
  • Tissot sponsor logo (Utsunomiya 2018)