The Serbian team Ub defeated Carolina (Puerto Rico) 21-16 in the final of the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Edmonton 2025, held on Saturday in Canada. The match served as a rematch of the 2023 final, which was also won by the Balkan team, and added to that was the fact that it was a rematch after Carolina’s victory over Ub in the group stage of this year’s tournament.
On their respective paths to the final, Ub comfortably defeated Miami and Amsterdam, while Carolina, led by Antonio Ralat, advanced steadily, eliminating Ulaanbaatar and Chongming after a perfect group stage.
UB dominates the circuit
In the decisive match, the Serbs imposed their physicality from the start, although Carolina kept up the defensive pace and managed to tie the score at 7-7 in the first part of the game. Serbian Marko Brankovic was key from the start, combining efficiency in the paint with accuracy from long range. For Carolina, Bryan González responded with decisive baskets, while both teams sought to slow down their rival leaders: Strahinja Stojacic and Antonio Ralat.
Points from Barac and Nerandzic added to the relevant actions of Stojacic and Brankovic, allowing Ub to pull away. Although Carolina tried to react, they fell into a phase of disconnection that the Serbs took advantage of to seal the victory. It was precisely Nenad Nerandzic who put the finishing touch on a match that consolidates Ub’s dominance on the circuit.
Comeback and MVP
Ub has won the last four stops on the circuit, and its performance was once again led by ‘Dr. Strange’, Strahinja Stojacic, in his first appearance after an injury. The Serbian player scored 24 points throughout the tournament and was also decisive as a playmaker. His total rating reached 34.9 points, earning him recognition as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in Edmonton.
In the individual events, Jacob Harvey (‘Phoenix’) won the Wilson Shoot-Out Contest, while Brandon ‘Highrize’ Ruffin won the Dunk Contest with an outstanding performance in front of the Canadian crowd.
The overall tournament standings ended with Ub (Serbia) at the top, followed by Carolina (Puerto Rico) and Chongming (China). The top 5 was completed by Amsterdam RABOBANK (Netherlands) and Miami (United States). Up to 12 teams participated in this stop on the world circuit, representing America, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean.
