THE International Basketball Federation (FIBA) 3×3 World Doha Masters concluded on Saturday with Latvian team Riga fashioning out an impressive comeback to rule the tournament.
Showed tremendous determination, Riga, the number three-ranked team in the world, pulled the rug from under Serbian squad and top seed Liman, 21-20, in the finals held at the state-of-the-art Al Gharafa Sports Complex in Qatar.
The team from the Philippines, Manila Chooks TM, meanwhile, failed to advance from the group stage and finished 11th in the field of 14 teams.
Down, 20-15, at one point in the championship game, Riga wilfully charged back, capped by a buzzer-beating two-pointer from Karlis Lasmanis to send his team to the victory.
Mr. Lasmanis, 26, stepped up in the final with a game-high 11 points. For the tournament, which ran from Nov. 20 to 21, Riga, which grabbed the $40,000 top prize, went 5-0 to solidify its claim to the title.
Sharpshooter Edgars Krumins topped all scorers with 34 points for the duration of the tournament while speedy Nauris Miezis received the most valuable player trophy.
Despite losing in the finals of the Doha Masters, Liman has the chance to redeem itself in the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Final to be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Dec. 18-19, 2020.
Meanwhile, Manila Chooks TM offered no excuses as it was swept in its two-game assignment in Pool A of the tournament.
“No excuses,” were the only words said by top Philippine 3×3 player Joshua Munzon as their team lost to Liman, 15-22, and hometown team Lusail, 14-19, in that order.
Mr. Munson top-scored for Manila Chooks TM with an average of 9.5 points in their two games.
Other members of the team were Alvin Pasaol, Santi Santillan, and Troy Rike. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo