Ub, Liman go perfect as drama unfolds on Day 1 of World Tour Chengdu
CHENGDU (China) – Top seeds Ub (SRB) and red-hot Liman (SRB) lived up to expectations with unbeaten runs, but it was a day filled with drama, upsets and clutch finishes at the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Chengdu 2026 on Saturday.
Ub, Liman set the pace
World No.1 Ub wasted no time asserting themselves, cruising past Bordeaux (FRA), 21-12, before holding off DeQing (CHN), 21-16, to comfortably top Pool A. Nenad Nerandžić led the way with 7 points in their opener and followed it up with 9 points in a composed second win.
Meanwhile, Liman showed no signs of slowing down after their Utsunomiya Opener triumph, taking down Tsukuba (JPN), 21-14, before locking in a 19-11 victory over Toronto (CAN) to sweep Pool C. Dorde Simeunovic starred across both games, including a 10-point performance to seal their second win.
Pool B chaos
Pool B delivered one of the biggest twists of the day as Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy (MGL) pulled off a dramatic 21-20 buzzer-beating win over Miami (USA).
After trailing for most of the game, Nauris Miezis sparked the comeback with back-to-back two-pointers before Ulaanbaatar completed the rally with a putback at the buzzer.
Miami had earlier shown their class with a 21-16 comeback win over Shinagawa (JPN), overturning a double-digit deficit behind Mitch Hahn’s energy and a strong finish.
Shinagawa, however, refused to go quietly, knocking off Ulaanbaatar, 21-17, behind a huge 14-point outing from Vonni Scott.
With all three teams finishing 1-1, Miami and Ulaanbaatar advanced on points scored in one of the tightest pools of the day.
D for Drama
Pool D was equally unpredictable, featuring another three-way tie and multiple nail-biters.
Antwerp (BEL) edged Skyliners (GER), 19-16, behind a 9-point effort from Jonas Foerts, while Skyliners responded with a strong 21-15 win over Shanghai (CHN) powered by Stefan Kojic’s 11 points.
Shanghai then produced one of the moments of the day, with Karlis Lasmanis draining a game-winning two-pointer to secure a thrilling 21-20 victory over Antwerp.
Despite the three-way tie, Antwerp and Skyliners advanced due to superior total points scored.
DeQing edge thriller
DeQing (CHN) clinched their Quarter-Finals spot in exciting fashion, edging Bordeaux (FRA), 21-20, in overtime. Zhang Dianliang delivered the decisive moment with a clutch top-of-the-key two-pointer to seal the win after a back-and-forth contest.
Toronto recovered from their loss to Liman with a solid 19-15 win over Tsukuba, led by Carlos Zesati’s 9 points, to secure their place in the knockout rounds.
Shootout stars shine
The Shootout Contest sponsored by Wilson also delivered excitement, with Stefan Kojic (Skyliners), Jonas Foerts (Antwerp), Mitch Hahn (Miami) and Bikramjit Gill (Toronto) advancing to the Final.
Kojic led all qualifiers with an impressive 8-point tally.
Quarter-Finals set
The stage is now set for an exciting knockout phase:
QF1: Ub vs Toronto
QF2: Antwerp vs Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy
QF3: Miami vs Skyliners
QF4: Liman vs DeQing
With powerhouse teams in form and several contenders gaining momentum, fireworks are expected at the Jiaozi Music Square in Chengdu.
FIBA