LAUSANNE (Switzerland) – Jonas Foerts scored 8 points in the final as his game-winning two sealed the win for Antwerp TOPdesk (BEL) 22-19 against Lausanne at the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Lausanne Masters on August 19.
The Belgians had faced the home side earlier in the tournament, finding themselves on the losing end of an on-fire Lausanne that felt unstoppable up until the closing moments of the final.
The matchup lived up to its billing of being physical and high-paced. Antwerp’s Bryan De Valck opened the scoring, securing two quick points in the paint. Carlos Martinez answered back with a two for the Swiss team. Not long after, a hard foul on the shifty guard Gilles Martin granted Lausanne with two free throws, handing them the short-lived advantage in a back-and-forth game. Foerts started raining from deep, putting up a huge two to shift things in the favor of the Belgian side. Both teams traded haymakers, none being able to hold the other back.
With less than four minutes to go, Lausanne caught fire. Carlos Martinez drained a two to hand them the lead, much to the roar of the home crowd. Westher Molteni got another bucket to go before Martin seemingly drilled the dagger two to hand his side a 14-18 lead. But it would be Antwerp who would have the last laugh as De Valck hit a timely two. He picked up yet another bucket off a miss from Dennis Donkor. Foerts tied the game up with a quick layup over Molteni.
With just under a minute to go and the scores posed at 20-19 in the favor of Antwerp, Foerts scored yet another game-winning two, this time the most significant one as Antwerp crowned themselves champions at the Lausanne Masters, their second-ever Masters win.
Foerts was crowned MVP, finishing the event as top scorer with 43 points and with the highest Player Value with 46.1
In the Individual contests, Stefan Kojic (Liman Huishan NE) won the Maurice Lacroix Shoot-Out Contest, while Ukraine’s Vadim “Miller” Piddubchenko won the Meanquest Dunk Contest.
FINAL STANDINGS
1. Antwerp TOPdesk (BEL)
2. Lausanne (SUI)
3. Miami (USA)
4. Marijampole Mantiga (LTU)
5. Ub Huishan NE (SRB)
6. Versailles (FRA)
7. Liman Huishan NE (SRB)
8. Sant Feliu (ESP)
9. Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy (MGL)
10. Raudonvaris Hoptrans (LTU)
11. Princeton (USA)
12. Duuseldorf LFDY (GER)
13. Kandava Turiba (LAT)
14.Tel-Aviv (ISR)
The World Tour action takes place in Hungary next as the Debrecen Masters take place on August 26-27.
