DEQING (China) - There is a new champion on the FIBA 3x3 World Tour after London (USA) thrillingly made history having emerged triumphant at a crazy stop in Deqing.
Let's look back at the 13th stop on October 11-12.
London stuns the world
London became just the seventh winner on this season's World Tour - but the first debutant champion. There had been a lot of intrigue heading into this season over a team rebranded from iconic American side Princeton but one that also has a British flavor - as gleaned by their name.
Their mix of British and American players flourished in Deqing as London stunned the world to make history. A giant-killing run looked unlikely after they lost to powerhouse Toulouse (FRA) on Day One, but London showed nerves of steel to win tense knockout games against Chongming (CHN), unstoppable Ub (SRB) and Liman (SRB).
To win their first title - not just on the WT but on the entire pro circuit - was made even more memorable by their back-to-back dubs over the legendary Serbian teams. In particular their semi-final upset over Ub, who had won six of their previous seven WT events, will go down as the moment London truly came of age.
It was where Justin Pierce announced himself as a budding superstar with a game-high 11 points as he outplayed GOAT Strahinja Stojacic in their 21-19 win en route to a deserved MVP. Pierce had thrown down vicious dunks through this season to become an eye-catching player, but he's clearly a much more rounded player and his confidence will now be sky high.
There is a new WT champion as London also gained important points to move inside the top 12 on the standings. It's exciting to see the very beginnings of an emerging team making their way up the ladder.
Liman benefit from WT break
While their rivals have been slogging it during this gruelling Chinese swing, Liman weren't part of the last two WT events and returned at the Kaohsiung City Challenger after a month's break.
They benefited from the refresh with a strong run in Deqing, highlighted by a pool win over compatriot Liman (SRB) before knocking out dangerous Marbella (ESP) and rejuvenated Riffa (BRN),
Liman are the OGs that refuse to age as they came within an inch of a second WT title. Andreja Milutinovic was a walking bucket, while Dusan Popovic and big fella Mihailo Vasic offered plenty of support.
It's been 10 seasons of sustained success from Liman - the longest run by a team on the WT - and it doesn't look like ending any time soon.
Ub walk off with rare disappointment
Such their ridiculously high standards, Ub walked off disappointed after their semi-final exit. Of course, that result seems an underachievement for a team that had been almost unbeatable on the WT since May.
Another title looked likely after they cruised past Marbella, Baskets Bonn Telekom (GER) and Partizan before being left stunned by London. It's a reminder of the beauty of the 10-minute game, where anything is possible.
What ultimately sank them was an ice-cold performance from deep, with Ub shooting just 1-of-10 as they crashed out. But Stojacic did have another outstanding tournament and you just know Ub will brush off this minor road bump with the bigger picture in mind.
Donkor continues to inspire Riffa
After crashing out in the pool phase in Lausanne, Riffa were amid a major slump that appeared terminal. They had only made one semi-final from nine events on the pro circuit, with Riffa seemingly overtaken by hungrier teams.
It appeared to be a rapid fall from grace for a powerhouse that had won WT titles in previous seasons. But something has happened ever since those dark days in Lausanne. No doubt talisman Dennis Donkor, the heart and soul of Riffa, lit a fire under his teammates.
We can only imagine Donkor giving his team a pep talk, something like Al Pacino's legendary speech in Any Given Sunday. Whatever happened clearly worked as Riffa has improved out of sight having reached the semis at the last three WTs.
Led by a typically pumped-up Donkor, Riffa had an impressive run in Deqing highlighted by a beatdown of Toulouse in the quarters. But they fell short to Liman in the semis and getting past this final four curse will be Riffa's next challenge.
Deqing was amazing
This compelling Chinese swing continued with an amazing event in Deqing, a beautiful part of east China. Having previously successfully hosted a Challenger, Deqing made the big step up on the WT and what eventuated was a truly memorable debut.
The crowd was passionate and vocal amid beautiful surroundings and we can't wait to be back.
FIBA