"VAN" (Sports Desk - 01.09.2025) :: Vienna (AUT) emerged victorious, defeating Skyliners (GER) 22 - 20 in a thriller to win the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Debrecen 2025 on August 31.
The Austrian side bounced back in Debrecen after a rough first half of the season. They suffered a loss in their pool opener against Marbella, but followed it up with wins all the way up to the final. They defeated Liman and Amsterdam in the knockout rounds to book their matchup against the Skyliners.
The German side, led by sharpshooting legend Stefan Kojic, had their first breakthrough in Debrecen as they too followed up a loss in their opener with a blistering run. They last took down Valencia in an OT thriller to book their first World Tour final appearance of the season.
The Skyliners attacked the paint early through forced turnovers to notch buckets. Söhnel opened the scoring for Vienna with a two-piece on the other hand, with Diggs applying pressure to score on the inside as well.
For the side from Germany, however, it was Niklas Kropp who dominated early on. He shone on both aspects, making crucial blocks and scoring from deep and the paint alike, giving the Skyliners a 9 - 5 advantage. Vienna maintained their touch from deep, making big-time shots to turn the tide and give them the slight lead at 10 - 9 at the halfway mark of the game.
Both teams traded baskets back-and-forth, going right down to the wire with little separating them. Stefan Kojic made a free throw late in the game to bring the score to 20 apiece, the next point winning the game. It was Enis Murati who drilled the game-winner from deep, handing Vienna the 22 - 20 victory for their first stop win of the season.
Quincy Diggs had been stellar all day for Vienna, being the go-to scoring option for them in the knockout rounds. He was the team’s top scorer in their final against the Skyliners with 8 points. He finished the event with the highest player value score as well. His impact on the team’s offense earned him MVP plaudits.
In the individual contests, Nico Kaltenbrunner (Vienna) won the Wilson Shoot-Out Contest while Jeremiah Walker won the Dunk Contest.
STANDINGS
1. Vienna (AUT)
2. Skyliners (GER)
3. Valencia (ESP)
4. Amsterdam RABOBANK (NED)
5. Lausanne (SUI)
6. Liman (SRB)
7. Marbella (ESP)
8. Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU)
9. Partizan (SRB)
10. Debrecen (HUN)
11. London (USA)
12. Seef (BRN)
13. Bologna Campas (ITA)
14. Warsaw Lotto (POL)
15. Rome (ITA)
16. Constanta CSU Neptun (ROU)
The World tour is back at the end of September in Shanghai (27-28).
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