Ub Huishan NE win first-ever FIBA 3x3 World Tour Opener in Utsunomiya

UTSUNOMIYA (Japan) -  Ub Huishan NE (SRB) won the first-ever FIBA 3x3 World Tour Opener in Utsunomiya on May 14-15, 2022.

The number one 3x3 team in the world defeated World Tour 2019 runners-up Princeton (USA) in the final 22-16, avenging their Day 1 loss against the same opponents.

MVP Strahinja Stojacic stepped up in the final with a near-triple five of 13 points, 6 highlights and 4 rebounds. The 29-year-old scored the game-winning shot from outside the arc as Princeton were making a come-back led by 12 points combined from Damon Huffman and Isaiah Wilkerson.

Ub Huishan NE captain Dejan Majstorovic continued his winning ways in Utsunomiya. The Japanese city hosted 5 events in World Tour history, "The Maestro" won 4.

This Opener was like no event before. The 10 best-ranked teams in the world were invited. The prize money (USD 50,000 for the winners, 152,000 total) was higher than any Masters. Last but not least, Ub Huishan NE qualified for the Masters of their choice.

In the Individual Contests, Arturs Strelnieks (Riga, LAT) won the Maurice Lacroix Shoot-Out Contest and was awarded a special AIKON #tide FIBA 3x3 edition, while  Brandon Ruffin took home the Ashikaga Bank Dunk Contest. 

UTSUNOMIYA OPENER STANDINGS

1. Ub Huishan NE (SRB)
2. Princeton (USA)
3. Antwerp (BEL)
4. Amsterdam (NED)
5. Liman Huishan NE (SRB)
6. Sakiai  (LTU)
7. Riga (LAT)
8. Vienna (AUT)
9. Utsunomiya BREX (JPN)
10. Lausanne (SUI)
11. Jeddah (KSA)
12. Tokyo Dime  (JPN)
13. Shinagawa CC  (JPN)
14. Asakusa EXE (JPN)

The FIBA 3x3 World Tour is back on May 28-29 for the Manila Masters, the first Masters in the Philippines since 2015.

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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 professional circuit for men and women (World Tour and Women’s Series respectively) and national-team competitions.

3x3 made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Wilson is the Global Ball Partner. Wilson is also the Apparel Partner, Maurice Lacroix the Official Timekeeper and Chooks-to-Go the Global Partner of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour 2022.

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

For further information about 3x3, visit fiba3x3.basketball, FIBA 3x3 accounts on DouyinFacebookInstagramSina WeiboTencentTikTokTwitchTwitterYouku and YouTube or contact 3x3@fiba.basketball.