MIAMI completed its ascension to the top of the mountain in Fiba 3x3 basketball as the team captured the championship in the Chooks to Go Fiba 3x3 World Tour Cebu Masters. Miami managed a scintillating 22-19 win over Vienna in the finals on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023 at the SM Seaside City Cebu Mountain Wing.
The title was Miami’s first in the World Tour this season. The team’s highest finish before the Cebu stop was third place in the Lausanne leg of the circuit.
For a moment, it appeared as if Miami would fall short once again as Vienna grabbed a 19-18 lead after two free throws by Matthias Linortner with 1:27 to go. But the calm and composed former NBA guard Jimmer Fredette was unfazed, first hitting a difficult two-pointer from the left wing to shove Miami in front, 20-19.
Vienna had a shot at tying the game or winning the game outright but Dylan Travis stole the ball away from Quincy Diggs to give possession back to Miami. Fredette then sized up his defender before passing it off to Kareem Maddox and creating some space away from his defender. Maddox then passed the ball back to an open Fredette who made the game-winning deuce.
It was a bitter loss for Vienna, which held a 14-10 lead, before Miami’s Canyon Barry caught fire from the outside, hitting two straight rainbow shots, to shove his team in front, 17-14. Vienna, though, responded with a run of their own to seize the 19-18 lead, setting the stage for Fredette’s heroics.
Fredette, who was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, finished the final with nine points and four rebounds.
In the individual contests, Ulaanbaatar Steve Sir won the Shoot-Out Contest presented by Chooks-to-Go, while Rafal “Lipek” Lipinski thrilled the Cebuano fans to claim the Chooks Dunk Contest crown. / JNP
