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Kovacevic's buzzer-beater gives Amsterdam Talent & Pro first-ever Masters win at FIBA 3x3 World Tour Doha Masters 2021
Amsterdam Talent & Pro from the Netherlands won their first-ever FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters after defeating 4-time World Tour winners Novi Sad of Serbia 21-19 in the final of the Doha Masters at the Al Gharafa Stadium on Saturday.
En route the final, the Dutch team had beaten another Serbian team Liman, the topmost-ranked, 21-18 in the semis while Novi Sad downed defending champion Riga, also from Serbia, in the other semi-final.
With the game tied at 19 with a few seconds to go in the game, new recruit Maksim Kovacevic swished a fantastic shot off the handoff from outside the arc to give Amsterdam Talent & Pro their first-ever title on the World Tour. He scored a whopping 13 points in the final game.
His teammate Arvin Slagter was named MVP of the season-opening event after topping all scorers with 35 points and leading his squad to the title.
On his second year on the World Tour, the 1.92m (6ft. 4in.) sharpshooter Slagter won his first MVP trophy. He also led all players in player value at the event (32.9).
Second in the scoring charts was Kovacevic. The former Liman player scored two Tissot buzzer-beaters in Doha, including the title-clincher. The Serbian star finished the event with 34 points.
The brand new Novi Sad player Strahinja Milosevic finished third in scoring with 31 points, followed by the number one 3x3 player in the world, Dusan Bulut (29).
The number one 3x3 player in the world Bulut did not win this time, but he still led a new-look Novi Sad team all the way to the final. New addition Strahinja Milosevic led his squad in scoring in Doha with 31 points.
In the individual contests, Poland's Piotr 'Grabo' Grabowski won the $3,000 prize-money Elite Air Dunk Contest, while Darius Tarvydas of Lithuania's Sakiai Gulbele dominated the McDonald Shoot-out Contest.
All the health and safety measures requested by local and national authorities and the Guidelines for the Return to Basketball, developed by the FIBA Medical Advisory Group (MAG), which were successfully introduced last season, were implemented once again.
"We are happy to successfully host this tournament despite the challenges of the COVID 19. It is exciting to know that the competition finished without any issues, and I would like to appreciate the health authorities and the other agencies for their tremendous supports. I congratulate the new champion Amsterdam Talent & Pro on their victory and I wish all the teams the best of luck as the Tour continues," said Ali Al Malki, Qatar Basketball Federation Secretary-General.
Exciting, urban and innovative, 3x3 is inspired by several streetball forms played worldwide and is considered the world's number one urban team sport. Steered by FIBA, games see two teams of three players face off on a basketball half-court.
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It was played successfully for the first time in an international competition at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. Since then, it has benefited from the launch of a yearly city-based FIBA 3x3 World Tour and national-team FIBA 3x3 World & Continental Cups.
On 9 June 2017, 3x3 was added to the Olympic Program, starting from the Tokyo Games.
Wilson is the Global Ball and Apparel Partner and Tissot the Official Timekeeper of FIBA 3x3.
FIBA 3x3 events are played on Enlio floors with Wilson balls, Schelde backstops, and the Magic Sky canopy system.
DOHA MASTERS STANDINGS
- Amsterdam Talent&Pro (NED)
- Novi Sad (SRB)
- Liman (SRB)
- Riga (LAT)
- Ub (SRB)
- Graz (AUT)
- Piran (SLO)
- NY Harlem (USA)
- Edmonton (CAN)
- Princeton (USA)
- Sakiai Gulbele (LTU)
- Lusail (QAT)
- Manila Chooks TM (PHI)
- Doha (QAT)
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