THE fancied Liman 3×3 squad toughened up its Cebu Chooks counterparts in the lead-up to the Chooks-to-Go FIBA 3×3 World Tour Manila Masters.
In actual competition yesterday, the Serbs taught the Filipinos a neat lesson.
Leaning on team play and outside shooting, Liman ripped Cebu Chooks 21-11 in their quarterfinals duel at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay in Parañaque.
Mihailo Vasic showed the way for world No. 3 Liman with eight points, while shooter Nebojsa Kilijian chipped in seven markers.
Liman zoomed to a fast start and led 9-1 on a Stefan Kojic basket at the 7:16 mark of the match.
Mac Tallo, the Philippines’ No. 1 3×3 player, and Zach Huang tried to carry the Aldin Ayo-trained quartet that also included Mike Harry Nzeusseu and Brandon Ramirez back into the game, but their efforts could not simply hack it against a Liman side already playing together for six years.
In the third quarterfinals game, Sansar MMC Energy of Mongolia battled back from a four-point deficit and downed Manila Chooks 21-16.
Liman battled Sansar in the knockout semis, while world no. 1 Ub Huishan NE tangled with Melbourne. The champion of the maximum level tournament will take home $40,000 (P2,093,000).
Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy pocketed $10,000 (P523,250) for finishing fifth in the tilt, while Warsaw got $4,000 (P209,300 for winding up sixth.
Chris McIntosh of Auckland won the Shootout Competition with 13 points, beating Melbourne’s Jesse Wagstaff (10), Cebu’s Tallo (8), and Yokohama’s Tatsuhiro Noto (5).
Cebu ruled the FIBA 3×3 Asia Pacific Super Quest last month, while Manila reached the semis of the Mongolia Super Quest in Ulaanbaatar.
Anand Ariunbold boomed in two straight two-pointers, igniting a 7-0 blitz that turned an 8-12 disadvantage into a 15-12 cushion that took the fight out of Manila.
Ariunbold finished with nine points, while Enkhbaatar Onolbaatar added six. Gansukh Avarzed and Batzolboo Borgil also combined for six points.
The numbing defeat in front of a home crowd would only serve the squad in good stead, according to Tallo.
