Victory and defeat - sometimes one shot apart!

It was a multicultural and international party today (with only one team hailing from the USA) when the semi-finalists were named: the first semi-final saw San Juan, who had played a flawless tournament with no losses and always displayed spectacular games, take on team Moscow. On the other court, Denver faced the highly skilled snipers from Edmonton, Canada.

San Juan went on to grab that first ticket to the finals by defeating Moscow with their elegant and elaborate plays. Basically, they confirmed what they had been doing all along: ankle-breaking moves from point guard Jonathan Garcia Bermudez, great shooting from within and beyond the arc, quick hands on defense and spectacular, flashy dunks from William Orozco.

Moscow remained true to their style as well, as they continued their very physical, inch by inch push game. While their long range shooting kept them in the game for the longest time, this time, the buzzer beater did not sink in.  

In game two of the semi-finals, Denver took on team Edmonton. While the only US team struggled throughout the game, they always managed to keep the score balanced. Especially Denver's point guard Corey Campbell and big man Patrick Harnaway had important points and kept their team close to the Canadians.

After suffering a straight 4 point run from Edmonton with only 2 minutes on the clock, Denver's Derek Griffin hit two important shots from way beyond the three point line to tie the game and take it to OT.

And before Edmonton knew what had hit them, well, oops, he did it again, securing Denver the second spot in the finals in what was probably the fastest sudden death overtime win.

But before the final game was played on the central court, the crowd had plenty of entertainment and fun. The legendary New York City dancers made fans cheer with their sexy and mesmerizing  dance moves.

Also, the shoot out and the dunking contest were a big wow factor. Irwin Hudson from Orlando  out-shooted the other contenders while Cincinnati's Robbie Smythe was named best dunker after earning himself a perfect 10 score from the jury (with legendary ex-Knickerbocker Larry Johnson on it) on several  neck-break, jordan-like slam dunks.

And when it finally came down to crunch time in the all-decisive game, both San Juan and Denver showed very strong performances on both ends of the court, giving spectators the impression of a deja-vu.

It was San Juan's gracefulness and charm and Denver's long-range shooting and hustle all over again that kept the game very close and suspense sky high. And with the game tied at 17, it wasn't until the very last second that Denver's Corey Campbell dished his most lethal weapon, hitting a buzzer beater from beyond the arc to defeat disappointed San Juan 19:17.

But above all, the sportsmanship and fairness displayed at the FIBA 3x3 New York stop set a great example for the many kids who cheered from the side line and gave this relatively new discipline the positive publicity it deserves.

Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education in the Obama administration and quarter-finalist with his Philadelphia team, might have been diplomatic enough not to say who is the better basketball player (Mr. President or himself, that is), but he was very candid when asked about FIBA's 3x3 Olympic aspirations: ''I would be delighted to see 3x3 go Olympic as early as Rio 2016. Despite my age (47), I might still even qualify!''  That's the spirit!