NEOM (Saudi Arabia) – Miami (USA) regain top form, defeating Liman (SRB) 22 – 19 to win the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Neom on November 9.
Last winning a stop in Edmonton in July, the American side returned to the top in Neom after coming ever so close in recent weeks.
The new-look side has been in top form and found the same success this time around. They went unbeaten on their way to the final, last defeating Vienna in a nail-biting contest that saw Mitch Hahn clutching up.
Dylan Travis continued to be the hub for his side while Trey Bardsley brought in crucial playmaking. James Parrott showcased his offensive prowess yet again as the team seemed prime to a win.
They faced Liman in the final who had been on a similar hot streak on their own after an initial loss to Ub.
Miami started off hot, running their offense through James Parrott as he got on the scores early. His outut on both ends of the floor was key for Miami.
Though Liman kept themselves in the contest through Mihailo Vasic and Stefan Kojic, the intensity and physicality from the American side gave them the edge. The scores were 10 – 6 with over 6 minutes to go in the contest.
Miami continued to increase their advantage with Bardsley working in the paint. Their stifling defense never allowed Liman to find traction. The Serbians relied on paint presence to pull themselves back through Vasic and Milutinovic.
It came to a 4-point difference between the sides with just over two minutes to go. Miami came through yet again, patient play providing them with easy looks as they held a 19 – 14 lead. Liman however, mounted a late flurry as they brought the scores to 20 – 19.
Dylan Travis was the one to put an end to proceedings as his two would earn Miami their third stop win of the season, 22 – 19.
James Parrott was a walking highlight reel for Miami, notching a tournament-high 37 points while also leading in player value with 59.1. His impact was massive on both ends of the floor as he would take home MVP honors in Neom.
In the individual contests, Stefan Kojic (Liman, SRB) won the Shoot-Out Contest presented by NEOM Beach Games while Joel Henry won the McLaren Racing Dunk Contest.
