EDMONTON, Canada (July 7, 2024) – Team Miami – AKA the 2024 USA 3x3 Men’s National Team – won their second consecutive FIBA 3x3 World Tour event of 2024 with a triumph in Edmonton, Canada, just a few weeks out from Olympic Games Paris 2024.
With its second straight Canadian conquest, Miami returns to the World Tour podium for the final time ahead of their French adventure later this month. This marks the third 3x3 World Tour circuit victory of this year and, as he did during recent scoring barrages in Utsunomiya and Quebec, 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 vs. Vienna (Austria) was easily the most challenging match of Miami’s run in Edmonton. The Americans overcame an early four-point hole to tie their game at 11 apiece. From that point forward, the two remained in lock-step until Maddox, Fredette and Barry scored three straight to end the final contest with a 21-18 mark.
Fredette led the charge with eight points, Barry finished with seven and Maddox scored five en route to Miami’s second title in the past two weekends.
Pitted against Partizan (Serbia) in the semifinals, Miami executed one of its more bullish offensive showings of the gauntlet to coast to a 21-10 win and secure a place in their third 3x3 World Tour final of this calendar year.
Like its earlier battles, the score teetered early before the Americans began to showcase their prowess in the half-court. The USA engineered an extended 11-1 scoring surge, which included five free throws, over a three-minute period to balloon a 1-point lead into an 11-tally edge.
Maddox and Fredette spearheaded Miami’s offense with eight points each, Barry poured in three and Travis scored two.
Before its semifinal test vs. the Serbians, Miami managed to secure its third win of the weekend in a hard-fought duel vs. Barcelona (Spain) to tip off knockout action in the quarterfinals. To open day two action, the platoons combined for eight ties in under four minutes to knot the contest up at 10 apiece.
Miami, with interior and outside help from Travis, rattled off four unanswered points to establish a 14-10 edge with just over 5:00 on the ticker. The score remained relatively close for the ensuing few minutes, but back-to-back 2-pointers from Fredette and Maddox kept Marseille at bay and brought the score to 18-13 in Miami’s favor.
The French clawed back to transform a 5-point deficit into a one-score game, but Fredette showcased his knack for the late-game spectacular with a tough, hand-in-your face fadeaway to seal the deal 21-18.
The foursome put together a balanced offensive output throughout; Maddox and Travis led the team with six points each, Fredette added five and Barry made three of his four looks from inside the arch for four points.
To clinch a berth to the quarterfinals, Miami outdueled its other American opponent, NY Harlem (United States), down the stretch en route to a 22-14 triumph. The two traded buckets during the game’s first few minutes before NY Harlem flipped a 5-5 grudge match into a 12-8 advantage.
Miami, courtesy of three points from Maddox and a pair of 1-pointers from Barry, orchestrated a 6-0 spurt in under two minutes to pull ahead 14-12. The quartet choreographed an 8-0 run to close the match with 2:23 to spare on the game clock.
Barry, who scored eight points, snared four boards and nailed all five of his 1-point attempts, paced his squad alongside Maddox, who added eight points and two 2-pointers of his own. Fredette and Travis rounded out the scoresheet with six combined tallies.
The group’s first pool play match featured a similar back-and-forth vs. Marseille (France). Despite facing an early 5-2 hole, Miami, fueled by six points from Fredette and three scores from Barry, mustered a 10-3 burst to take a 5-point lead at the 6:16 mark.
Marseille brought it to within three, but Miami’s relentless interior attack proved too difficult for the French to overcome. The Americans ended the bout on a 0-3 run with 3:22 to spare, and Travis registered his platoon’s final three points to secure a 21-12 win.
Fredette captained the group with nine points and five boards, Barry added seven tallies and two rebounds and Travis notched four points to guide the USA to an impressive offensive performance in their first clash of the tournament.