Fredette, Team USA back on top after Quebec Challenger win
In the race to 21, Jimmer Fredette and team Miami pulled ahead of Podgorica Kodio to win the 3×3 Quebec Challenger last weekend.
This is the team’s second win of the FIBA 3×3 2024 World Tour, and one of the final tournaments before the Olympic Games in Paris.
The finals was a rematch between the American and Croatian teams. Miami beat Podgorica in game 3 of the Challenger, taking just 6 minutes and 23 seconds to win 21-9. The championship game was tighter, lasting nearly eight minutes but Team Miami pulled away at the end, 22-19.
Fredette did what he does best, shooting for 9 points in the championship, scoring 46 in the event, and securing MVP honors for the second time this year.
The team went 5-0 in Quebec, catapulting Miami to the top of the 3×3 rankings.
The basics of 3×3
3×3 takes a traditional basketball court and cuts it in half.
There are 10 minutes on the clock, (a fifth of NBA games), and is packed with high-paced play from six players on the court.
Each team is made up of three players and one substitute. Substitutions can only be made in a dead-ball situation and becomes official only when the player leaving the game makes physical contact with the substitute.
Each team has one time out.
Games are played on half a basketball court, with both teams shooting into the same hoop. Instead of pausing after a team scores, like in traditional basketball, 3×3 players continue without a break.
The ball used is the same size as a WNBA ball and the same weight as those used in the NBA.
A shooting clock ensures that players take a shot within 12 seconds, just half the time allowed in an NBA game.
There are two ways to win in 3-on-3: By the clock or the score.
A team will win if they are ahead in points at the end of the 10 minutes or if they are the first team to 21 points. Team Miami won the final game in the Quebec Challenger in just over 7 minutes by getting to 21 before their opponents.
In 3×3, points are harder to accumulate with each basket receiving only 1 or 2 points. Shots beyond the arc (also known as “downtown”) count as 2, while shots made inside the arc, including free-throws, are worth 1.
Keeping true to its origins on the streets, a DJ blasts music throughout the game. The atmosphere stays high-tempo and highly physical as fewer fouls are called on average than in NBA play.
What’s next for Team USA
The FIBA 3×3 Edmonton Masters 2024 is next for the top-seeded team Miami (USA).
It will be an All-American war on the court with Miami playing 11-seed NY Harlem in the first round.
The 2-day tournament begins July 6th 2024.
