CANGZHOU (China) - Vienna (AUT) bounced back after recent heartbreak to claim the title at the FIBA 3x3 Cangzhou Challenger.
Here is what happened in the 19th and last Challenger of the season on October 18-19. The winner: Miami (AUT) They were: No.1 points
After falling short at the Dongguan Challenger, an extra motivated Vienna were not to be denied on this occasion as they stormed to an unbeaten run. It wasn't easy though with the awesome Austrians needing to squeeze past Zavkhan (MGL) and Hangzhou (CHN) in pool play.
They went up a level in the knockouts and produced an absolutely vintage performance to blow past Toulouse (FRA) 21-12 in the quarters. Fabio Sohnel emerged from the shadows of his star teammates to hit a game-high 10 points before Enis Murati took over with 10 points in the semis against Barcelona (ESP).
Murati continued his recent scoring binge to help form a three-headed monster with MVP Quincy Diggs and speedy Nico Kaltenbrunner as Vienna overcame fellow power Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU).
The runner-up: Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU)
They were: No.1 Best shooting value & fewest points allowed
The lethal Lithuanians were exactly that until the final, which was their only blemish of the tournament. They had never looked better after blowing away four straight teams, winning each game by 6+ points.
They played terrific two-way 3x3, shooting the lights out and clamping down on defense. As has been expected, their offense mostly came from what has become one of the very best one-two punches on the circuit - Aurelijus Pukelis and Evaldas Dziaugys who combined for 65 points.
Dziaugys has really stepped up and living up to his nickname of Eval Knievel as Raudondvaris boast two dudes who want the Wilson in the clutch.
The Final: Vienna 22-Raudondvaris Hoptrans 17
There was much anticipation for a match-up featuring two of the very best in the business. Both Vienna and Raudondvaris entered with a swagger as they stormed to the final and this appeared a flip of the coin.
Pukelis loomed large, towering over the shorter Austrians, and he scored early but Vienna have weapons of their own with Kaltenbrunner going on a scoring spree. Murati joined in the party by going bang, bang to give Vienna a handy buffer as Diggs played in attack mode to get himself to the line.
Vienna's firepower appeared too much, but Pukelis started to make the paint his personal playground to get the Lithuanians to within a point. Continuing his scoring tear, Murati went bang to give Vienna some breathing room before sidekicks Diggs and Kaltenbrunner splashed from deep to secure their second title of the season.
The reward: Three tickets to WT Bucharest With Vienna already qualified, Raudondvaris Hoptrans, Barcelona and Podebrady received tickets for WT Bucharest on November 8-9. Final Standings: 1. Vienna (AUT) 2. Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU) 3. Podebrady (CZE) 4. Barcelona (ESP) 5. Amsterdam Rabobank (NED) Top Scorers: 1. Enis Murati (Vienna, AUT) 37 pts 2. Aurelijus Pukelis (Raudondvaris Hoptrans, LTU) 36 pts 3. Artjoms Butjankovs (Shanghai, CHN) 32 pts 4. Evaldas Dziaugys (Raudondvaris Hoptrans, LTU) 29 pts 5. Worthy de Jong (Amsterdam Rabobank, NED) 28 pts Key Stats: - Superstar Worthy de Jong had a monster 12 points 4 rebounds and 8 highlights in Amsterdam Rabobank's (NED) pool win over Samobor (CRO). - Toulouse talisman Franck Seguela had 8 points, 4 rebounds and 9 highlights against Valencia (ESP) in pool play. - Barcelona's 21-3 beat down of Qingchuan WOLFUNITED (CHN) lasted just 4'59" in playing time.
FIBA