UTSUNOMIYA, Japan (April 28, 2024) – Team Miami – AKA the 2024 USA 3x3 Men’s National Team – won their second consecutive FIBA 3x3 sanctioned event of 2024, earning a first-place finish in Utsunomiya, Japan, against a collection of the top 3x3 squads in the world.
The tournament victory arrived on the heels of Miami’s FIBA 3x3 Quest triumph last weekend at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, where Quest MVP Canyon Barry helped guide the quartet to a perfect 5-0 mark and first-place finish.
This time, it was Jimmer Fredette who snagged MVP honors and fueled Miami in the ensemble’s most crucial moments. With fewer than three months separating the FIBA 3x3 Men’s World Tour Opener from Olympic Games Paris 2024, the red, white and blue’s crunch time capabilities were on full display.
Alongside Barry and Fredette, fellow 3x3 Men’s National Teamer Dylan Travis was again accompanied by Bryce Wills, a 2023 FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup gold medalist, who filled in for Kareem Maddox on Saturday and Sunday.
The Final against Serbia’s Team Ub, the world’s No. 1 per FIBA 3x3’s Team Ranking system, went wire-to-wire. Miami established an early 2-0 advantage but the Serbians countered with a flurry of 2-pointers to pull ahead by five, 10-5. Miami quickly responded with three straight 2-pointers from Travis and Fredette to knot the contest up at 11 apiece.
From that point on, the two exchanged blows up until the final buzzer. Miami secured its first lead in over six minutes after Barry nailed a 2-pointer but Serbia’s Strahinja Stojacic capitalized on an outside look to pull Ub up 20-19.
Down by one in the match’s final offensive sequence, Fredette canned a buzzer-beating 2-pointer from the right wing to clinch the championship in an exhilarating 21-20 victory against the World Tour’s reigning champions.
Fredette ignited Miami’s offensive attack with a game-high eight points and three 2-pointers. Barry scored seven and Travis followed with five points of his own.
Pitted against Team Amsterdam (Netherlands) in the semifinals, Miami provided fans a glimpse of what was to come in their succeeding bout. In another nail-biter, the American quartet prevailed, 18-17, to punch their ticket to their second title game of 2024.
Amsterdam opened the game with three quick scores and held a 3-0 edge but a pair of buckets from Travis tied the match at four less than a minute later. The score teeter-tottered for over eight minutes with both teams trading blows like two heavyweights in a boxing ring.
Whenever one team appeared to gain momentum, the other would counter with a clutch score until 60 seconds remained on the ticker. Ahead 17-16, Amsterdam missed four consecutive free throws and left the game open for one of 3x3’s most lethal scorers.
After Barry tied the match at 17, Fredette corralled a loose ball, dribbled outside the right wing and maneuvered into the high post for a tough turnaround over the outstretched hands of his defender.
His swish beat the buzzer and netted Miami another victory before the Opener’s final contest. Miami orchestrated a balanced offensive performance; Travis led the team with seven points, Fredette added six and Barry and Wills combined for five.
Miami clawed its way to another gritty finish against Team Vienna (Austria) to tip off knockout action in the quarterfinals. Similar to what the USA encountered vs. Amsterdam, the score swayed for a majority of the game.
Following a pair of Vienna free throws at the 2:24 mark, Miami ended the game on a 6-1 scoring surge on an array of makes from Fredette, Travis and Wills. Backed by eight points from Travis and six from Fredette, Miami prevailed with a 19-13 triumph.
To qualify for the quarterfinals, Miami endured vs. Raudondvaris (Lithuania) in what looked to be a blowout early. The Lithuanians jumped out to a 7-1 advantage and led up until the 1:37 mark. Down 17-13, Barry and Fredette combined for five quick points on back-to-back 2-pointers and a crucial inside score.
Lithuania tied it at 18, but the Americans responded before Fredette iced the game with 15 tickets to go. Miami won, 22-19. Fredette, Miami’s marksman, showcased his range in Saturday’s second contest – he dropped 11 points off five 2-pointers. Barry scored five and Wills and Travis added three apiece.
Miami also won its earlier pool match vs. San Juan (Puerto Rico), hitting six straight looks from inside the arch en route to a 14-9 decision down the stretch. With under 4:00 to play, Miami choreographed an offensive barrage and ended the game on an extended 6-1 run.
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Different than 5-on-5, 3x3 is played on a half-court with a 10-minute game clock and 12-second shot clock. Play is continuous, as teams “clear” the ball behind the 2-point line following a made basket, defensive rebound or steal. The first team to score 21 points via 1-point field goals or 2-pointers behind the arc is victorious; or if time expires then the team leading wins.