Ub Huishan NE beat Liman Huishan NE, 20-17, to rule the 2022 Chooks-to-Go FIBA 3×3 World Tour Manila Masters, Sunday night at Ayala Malls Manila Bay.
Marko Brankovic and Dejan Majstorovic formed a solid 1-2 punch as the tandem powered the world’s no. 1 team in owning another WT leg after conquering the Utsunomiya Opener in Japan exactly a couple of weeks ago.
Brankovic top-scored with nine points and five rebounds, while Majstorovic provided eight markers as the two joined hands for the telling 8-1 run for a 15-8 lead with 2:52 to go that eventually led to the crew bagging $40,000 (P2,093,000).
World no. 1 Strahinja Stojacic made his presence felt as well with three points, including the booming two-pointer with 45.4 seconds left that doused cold water to a last-ditch attempt by their fellow Serbians in catching up.
Majstorovic, 34, was later on crowned as the Manila Masters’ Most Valuable Player, adding yet another valuable piece to his stacked collection.
“It feels amazing,” said the ‘Maestro,’ a three-time 3×3 World Cup gold medalist. “We want to prove that we are the best team in the world. And we did it. We need to stay calm, work hard, and keep playing the same way.”
Ub finished the tournament unscathed. It went 2-0 in the pool stage before taking down Warsaw, Melbourne, and then Liman for the title.
Liman, on the other hand, was led by the eight points and four rebounds of Stefan Kojic. Mihailo Vasic had five, as Aleksandar Ratkov added four.
As tough as the loss was, the third-ranked team in the world still improved its finish from the Utsunomiya tilt, where it only ended up at fifth.
Liman also brought home $ 30,000 (P1,569,750).
The Scores:
Ub 20 – Brankovic 9, Majstorovic 8, Stojacic 3, Barac 0.
Liman 17 – Kojic 8, Vasic 5, Ratkov 4, Kilijian 0.
