Representatives of “3x3Latvija U23 Red” – Norberts Strautiņš, Reinis Jānis Avotiņš, Gustavs Kārlis Kampuss, Reinis Otersons – became the winners of the 12x men’s team competition in the second stage of the 3×3 basketball league “Top Gun” season on Sunday, August 1 in Ogre. In the final U23 national team candidates won “BK 3×3 Madonna” with 21:14. “3x3Latvija U23 White” won the third place, “Krāslava” won the fourth place, but “East-Ball-Rīga” was the best of the U18 teams. Reinis Jānis Avotiņš was recognized as the most valuable player of the tournament.
According to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) ranking, Ogre’s “Top Gun” favorites were considered to be “3x3Latvia U23 Red”, which then justified the predictions, as it convincingly won both games in the subgroup and in all three matches in the elimination tournament. The smallest advantage of the quartet of national team candidates (seven points) was recorded in the quarter-final fight against Jēkabpils “Power Movement”, as well as in the already mentioned final against the Madona team.
It was “BK 3×3 Madona” – Miks Kalniņš, Eduards Hāzners, Jurģis Eglītis and Zigmārs Raimo – who intervened in the distribution of places according to the FIBA rank. In the exciting semi-final game, the Madona Quartet beat “3x3Latvija U23 White” with 16:13, entering the final, where the battle for the champions of the check worth 500 euros took place. The series of success broke in the final, but the won second place is definitely a good achievement for the team, which only replaced the injured Thomas Holst on the morning of the tournament with Hazer, who made his debut in the official 3×3 basketball tournaments.
Traditionally, in the Top Gun stages, matches for the third place do not take place, the teams are classified according to their winnings and losses. Third place went to “3x3Latvija U23 White” (Vents Hugo Liepnieks, Daniils Smirnovs, Dāvis Žilde, Mārcis Osis), fourth place – “Krāslava” (Rolands Opaļevs, Lauris Pļavenieks, Kristaps Strazdiņš and Rinalds Timma).
The best result – the seventh place – from the U18 age teams was achieved by “East-Ball / Riga” – Rolands Dižgalvis, Valters Mazburšs, Rihards Porietis, Mārtiņš Zviedris. The hosts of the tournament “Ogri” were also represented by Ux age group 3×3 basketball players – Kārlis Zariņš, Ralfs Tumaševs, Roberts Eglītis and Ričards Atars. They ranked tenth.
Raimo became the most productive player in the “Top Gun” Ogre stage, scoring a total of 39 points in five games. Campus (32 points in five matches) and Avotiņš (30 points in five games) also entered the top three. If we evaluate the points scored in the match on average, then the trio of leaders would be Strazdiņš (average 7.25 points), Raimo (7.20) and Artūrs Škute (6.75 points), the leader of the attack of “BK 3×3 Madona 2”.
Ogre “Top Gun” tournament results.
The third tournament of the second season of “Top Gun” will take place on August 14 and 15 in Kandava.
Photo: Sandijs Leicis
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