Quebec City, Quebec (June 29, 2024) – Team Miami – AKA the 2024 USA 3x3 Men’s National Team – won their second FIBA 3x3 World Tour event of 2024, snagging a first-place finish in Quebec, Canada, roughly one month ahead of Olympic Games Paris 2024.
With its Canadian conquest, Miami returns to the apex of the 3x3 realm for the first time since its first-place finish at April’s Utsunomiya Opener. And, reminiscent of his scoring barrage in Japan, Jimmer Fredette snagged MVP honors for the second time in 2024 to fuel Miami in the ensemble’s most crucial moments.
Fellow 3x3 Men’s National teamers Canyon Barry, Kareem Maddox and Dylan Travis accompanied Fredette in the squad’s fifth FIBA-sanctioned event of the calendar year.
The title game against Podgorica (Montenegro) seesawed until the final buzzer. Trailing 5-2, Miami mustered a quick 5-0 surge to pull ahead 7-6. After the Montenegrins tied it at eight, Barry netted two 2-pointers to bring the advantage to 12-8, Miami.
Podgorica immediately retaliated with a pair of looks from outside, but a critical technical foul curbed the Montenegrins’ momentum and allowed Miami to pull ahead 17-13. With roughly 3:30 on the game clock, Miami’s 19-14 advantage appeared sound. Within 30 seconds, however, after two American fouls and a turnover, Podgorica hit four straight free throws. The score read 19-19 with just over 3:00 remaining.
After multiple caroms and a several anxious groans from onlookers, Fredette decided the game with a floater and deep 2-pointer from the left wing. Miami ended with a 22-19 mark and first 3x3 tournament victory since Utsunomiya.
Fredette set the tone with 10 points, his first of three double-digit scoring salvos during the Challenger. Barry registered eight timely points, and Maddox and Travis combined for four.
Pitted against Raudondvaris (Lithuania) in the semifinals, Miami choreographed one of its most dominant performances of the gauntlet to coast to a 21-9 win and punch their ticket to a second 3x3 World Tour final of 2024.
As opposed to its earlier battles, Miami did most of its damage on the interior. Back-cuts and high pick and rolls allowed the USA to spring free down low and establish a quick 10-6 lead with 5:30 on the ticker. Miami shifted gears, however, following a Maddox block from behind and Fredette 2-pointer from the corner.
Barry and Maddox would follow with two straight 2-pointers before Miami clinched the victory with two layups inside. Barry spearheaded Miami’s offense with seven points, Maddox poured in six and Fredette and Travis notched four each. As a team, the USA shot 14/15 from the 1-point territory.
Prior to its semifinal match vs. the Lithuanians, Miami cruised to its third win of the weekend vs. Lausanne (Switzerland) to tip off knockout action in the quarterfinals. Picking up where he left off on Friday, Fredette drilled two looks from outside and spoon-fed Maddox for a pair of dunks to build a 6-1 edge and ignite USA’s offense.
The Swiss answered with five straight points of their own, but Canyon Barry single-handedly countered with three 2-pointers during Miami’s subsequent 8-0 run to extend his crew’s edge to nine.
Team defense and Fredette’s late sharpshooting catapulted the Americans to a 21-11 win. The four orchestrated a balanced offensive output throughout; Fredette led the team with nine points, Barry added six and Maddox made all five of his looks from inside the arch.
To secure a bid to the quarterfinal round, Miami flexed its offensive muscle in its second game against Podgorica (Montenegro). Fredette’s marksmanship and an ankle-breaking crossover on the right wing helped the quartet establish a 6-1 edge within the first 70 ticks of action. The foursome sealed the deal with a 9-2 extended scoring surge and commanded the tempo until the contest concluded. at the 3:33 mark.
Fredette, who drew oohs and aahs during the entire tournament, nailed three 2-pointers en route to a game-leading 11 tallies. Maddox scored four and corralled two boards while Barry and Travis both accounted for three points in Miami’s 21-9 victory.
The group’s first pool play match, on the other hand, featured a much more hectic back-and-forth vs. Adazi (Latvia). Despite facing an early 3-1 deficit, Barry and Fredette rattled off six consecutive points to pull Miami ahead 7-3 at the game’s first stoppage in play.
Facing a 10-6 hole, the Latvians would claw back to knot the bout at 11 apiece. Both teams traded a flurry of scores until Fredette pushed Miami ahead 19-15 with back-to-back 1-point and 2-point jumpers.
The former BYU standout ended the game from the charity stripe, and Miami escaped its first game with a 21-18 win. Fredette captained all scorers with 12 points while Barry added four points of his own to propel the USA to a strong first showing in the Challenger.