3x3 - Finalists set for Nike Dunk Contest and 2 Ball Contest

ALCOBENDAS - The four players and four teams that will battle for honours in Sunday's Nike Dunk Contest and 2 Ball Contest respectively were determined during some jaw-dropping and exciting qualification rounds on Saturday at the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Championships.

Terry Thomas (Germany), Martin Jurtom (Estonia), Rondae Jefferson (USA) and Cyril Baechler (Switzerland) are the players vying to be crowned champions of the Dunk Contest which will be played in a two-round Final.

Thomas scored a perfect 30 (getting three '10' from the judges) for soaring over an advertising board and putting down a right-handed windmill dunk.

Jurtom jumped over a team-mate for an emphatic slam that earned him 29 points.

Hollis-Jefferson windmilled home a left-handed dunk off his own bounce pass to get a score of 28 points. That is the same score Baechler got for dunking over a team-mate after catching a pass off the backboard.

"I was in a dunk contest before and a friend told me not to do just a windmill but to do a windmill by jumping over something," Thomas said to explain his dunk.

"The dunks by the other guys were very good too. I think the one I did is one of my favourites."

Thomas has made sure to keep some tricks up his sleeve for the Final but would not share them.

"No, no, no," he said when asked what he had planned. "You'll see tomorrow."

Nike Dunk Contest results (marks out of 30)
1 Terry Thomas (Germany) 30
2 Martin Jurtom (Estonia) 29
3 Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (USA) 28
4 Cyril Baechler (Switzerland) 28

Meanwhile, Netherlands, Spain, Germany and Romania qualified for the Final of the 2 Ball Contest.

Netherlands scored 10 points in the one minute allowed, while Spain finished with 9 in 43 seconds.

Germany and Romania each had 7 in 44 and 45 seconds respectively.

The final of the 2Ball will be played on the Nike Court (Court 1) at 15:30 local time (GMT +2) on Sunday.

2 Ball results
1 Netherlands (Aleks Correia Semedo/Gillian Boldewyn)     10 points (1:00 minute)
2 Spain (Borja Mendia/Ariadna Pujol) 9 points (43 seconds)
3 Germany (Terry Thomas/Robert Zinn) 7 points (44 seconds)
4 Romania (Vlad Stoicoviciu/Andrei Damian) 7 points (45 seconds)

Click here for the rules and system of competition of the Nike Dunk Contest and 2 Ball Contest.

FIBA