MANAMA (Bahrain) - Ub (SRB) reign supreme, defeating Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU) 20 - 16 to win the FIBA 3x3 Manama Final 2025 on November 22.
The Serbian Giants won their third Final title in Manama, closing out a dominant season with the ultimate prize.
They put out a clinic in the final, starting out with a 2-0 pool play display on Day 1. They defeated reigning champs Amsterdam in a closely contested Quarter-Final, exacting revenge for their buzzer-beater loss to the Dutch last year. They took down Skyliners as well in the semis to advance through to the Final.
They would take on Raudondvaris Hoptrans who were stellar themselves on their road to the Final. They defeated Amsterdam and Partizan in pool play before earning wins against Riffa and Hangzhou in the knockout stages to book the all-important matchup against Ub.
Both teams started off attacking the paint, utilising their physicality to set the tone of what was to be a physical battle. Ub found success in the early moments of the game, incisive offense alongside sharp defensive plays gave them an edge early into the contest.
The barrage continued from Ub. Nenad Nerandžić punished from the paint and the two-point line, taking the scores to 8 - 4 in favor of the Serbians over halfway into the contest.
It was around then when the pace really picked up in the proceedings. Both teams traded big shots from deep as Raudondvaris cut Ub’s lead down to one. Ub worked to regain control but the Lithuanians kept applying pressure. The shots started to fall more consistently for Raudondvaris, Aurelijus Pukelis and Paulius Beliavicius being at the forefront of their comeback late in the game.
Ub however, stayed a step ahead. Clutch buckets and defensive plays gave them an insurmountable lead with only seconds to go. They would see the game out 20 - 16 and take home their third Finals title, adding to their legacy as one of the greatest teams in the history of the sport.
Ub were once again led by Word Number One Strahinja Stojacic who was unstoppable all tournament. His team-high 36 points and tournament-high player value score of 46.8 showcases his impact on their historic win in Manama. He would take home MVP honors in addition to his regular season MVP award, a dream season in the pro circuit for Dr. Strange.
In the individual contests, Riffa’s Jonas Foerts won the shoot-out contest presented by GFH while Joel ‘The Royal Guard’ Henry won the dunk contest presented by Bahrain Tourism.
STANDINGS
Ub (SRB)
Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU)
Hangzhou (CHN)
Skyliners (GER)
Amsterdam RABOBANK (NED)
Miami (USA)
Riffa (BRN)
Toulouse (FRA)
Liman (SRB)
Partizan (SRB)
Vienna (AUT)
Chongming (CHN)
Lugano HANDONG (SUI)
Seef (BRN)