HONGCHEON (Korea) - Hangzhou (CHN) continued their strong early season form and fired another warning to opponents after claiming the FIBA 3x3 Hongcheon Challenger 2025 on May 9-10.
Here's what happened in the third Challenger of the season.
The winner: Hangzhou (CHN) They were: No.1 most points scored, best shooting value & fewest points allowed
Hangzhou have served warning in 2025. They mean business having started the season with victory at the Lausanne Mega Quest and making the final four at the WT Chengdu.
Their hot form continued with an unbeaten campaign in Hongcheon, which started with a tight dub over Liman (SRB) and easy knockout victories over Skyliners (GER) and Riffa (BRN) before overcoming powerhouse Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU) in a tight final.
All eyes were on new 3x3 force Aleksandar Lazic and he lived up the hype with another powerful performance filled with dunks and playing above the rim. But he had plenty of support with MVP Filip Kaluderovic pouring in buckets at will.
Their triumph was made even more impressive with Goran Vidovic unavailable for the semis and the final, but it didn't matter as Hangzhou continued to make their mark on the pro circuit.
The runner-up: Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU)
They were: No.3 shooting value & fewest points allowed
Backing up their victory at WT Chengdu, the lethal Lithuanians almost made it consecutive triumphs after storming to the final. Even without superstar Aurelijus Pukelis, Raudondvaris were still formidable with Chengdu MVP Evaldas Dziaugys remaining on target. Raudondvaris squeezed past Sagamihara HIU EXE (JPN) and Skyliners (GER) on Day One before thrashing rival Liman (SRB) in the quarters. They were pushed to the limit by rising Dutchman Utrecht (NED), but high-flyer Modestas Kumpys stood up with 10 points and 6 rebounds to get them over the line.
They couldn't quite go all the way, but remain one of the very best teams in the business.
The Final: Hangzhou 21-Raudondvaris Hoptrans 17
There was a lot of intrigue over a match-up between two in-form teams, but Raudondvaris started favorite against a three-man Hangzhou playing without Vidovic. However, Hangzhou showcased plenty of guts to hang in the contest with Kaluderovic hitting a crazy layup to inspire his team.
Sharpshooter Marijus Uzupis pulled out his uzi to lift Raudondvaris but they failed to take advantage of a team playing without a sub. Lazic threatened to take over the game after unleashing his unstoppable inside-outside game as the final inevitably went down to the wire.
The title was delicately poised at 17 apiece before Kaluderovic hit a clutch two to move Hangzhou closer. Lazic then threw down a vicious one-handed dunk, setting the stage for Kaluderovic to seal the deal with a pretty jumper as Hangzhou clinched another title.
The reward: Three tickets to the WT Vienna Hangzhou, Raudondvaris Hoptrans and Utrecht qualified for the WT Vienna on June 13-15. Final Standings: 1. Hangzhou (CHN) 2. Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU) 3. Utrecht (NED) 4. Riffa (BRN) 5. Baskets Bonn Telekom (GER) Top Scorers: 1. Filip Kaluderovic (Hangzhou, CHN) 38 pts 2. Evaldas Dziaugys (Raudondvaris Hoptrans, LTU) 35 pts 3. Dennis Donkor (Riffa, BRN) 33 pts 4. Fabian Giessmann (Baskets Bonn Telekom, GER) 31 pts 5. Aleksandar Lazic (Hangzhou, CHN) 28 pts Key Stats: - Young gun Denzel Agyeman posted a triple-five of 9 points, 7 rebounds and 6 highlights in Baskets Bonn Telekom's (GER) Day One victory over Cheverny (FRA). - Olympic gold medalist Dimeo van der Horst had a triple-five of 9 points, 5 rebounds and 7 highlights in Utrecht's pool win over three-man Lausanne (SUI). -Hangzhou's semi-final victory over Riffa in the semis lasted just 6'12" in playing time to be the fastest game of the tournament.
FIBA