FIBA 3x3 World Tour Final 2017 Pool A Preview

17 Oct 2017

BEIJING (FIBA 3x3 World Tour Final) - Number one seed Novi Sad Al Wahda (UAE) are the team to beat in Pool A at the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Bloomage Beijing Final on October 28-29. Do Kranj (SLO) and Krakow R8 Basket (POL) have what it takes to knock out the 2-time World Tour winners?

SCHEDULE*

5pm (GMT+8): Novi Sad Al Wahda (UAE) vs Krakow (POL)
6.45pm: Kranj (SLO) vs Krakow (POL)
8.35pm: Novi Sad Al Wahda (UAE) vs Kranj (SLO)

*All pool games on Saturday October 28

PREVIOUS APPEARANCES AT WORLD TOUR FINAL

1. Novi Sad Al Wahda 4 (including 2 titles)
2. Kranj 4 
3. Krakow 1

HEAD TO HEAD IN WORLD TOUR HISTORY

1. Novi Sad Al Wahda 9-0 (6-0 vs Kranj and 3-0 vs Krakow)
2. Kranj 1-6 (1-0 vs Krakow)
3. Krakow 0-4



HEAD TO HEAD IN 2017


1. Novi Sad Al Wahda 4-0 (2-0 vs Kranj and 2-0 vs Krakow)
2. Krakow 0-2 (0-0 vs Kranj)
3. Kranj 0-2 vs Novi Sad Al Wahda

WORLD TOUR 2017 TOP SCORER PER TEAM

1. Dejan Majstorovic (Novi Sad Al Wahda) 154 pts (1st overall)
2. Michael Hicks (Krakow) 102 pts (7th overall in total points but 1st on average)
3. Sinisa Stemberger (Kranj) 42 pts (29th)

STORY

The numbers should not leave any doubt. Not only are Novi Sad Al Wahda the best team in the world, they're also undefeated in 9 games (combined) against Kranj and Krakow. This season, they've confirmed their dominance by beating both teams twice in the quarter-finals at the World Tour. After the Lausanne Masters, Novi Sad Al Wahda looked invincible (3 straight Masters).

However since then, the Bulut train derailed and the team finished 3rd, 6th and 5th in the last 3 Masters of the season. They were also 6-0 against Piran (SLO) until a memorable loss at the Mexico City Masters.

Kranj came dangerously close in Lausanne (1-point loss) and can rely on an experience group, led by Mensud Julevic who is one of the only 3 players to have played in every single edition of the World Tour.

If there's 1 player on the World Tour who can come out and knock down 11 shots from outside the arc in the same game, it has to be Krakow's Michael Hicks. Is it the year 'Money in the Game' gets to do his signature 'sprinkle' celebration all over Dusan Domovic Bulut after a game-winner?

FIBA