The Spanish team Palo Peak won the third edition of the Raiffeisen Bank Bucharest Challenger, played in the Romanian capital, between 26 and 27 of July.
The Spanish players received a 4000 USD money prize and they qualified for FIBA 3×3 World Tour Masters in Prague.
After two tough games in the quarter finals and semifinals, not even them could believe that the final would be the easiest game. But the long range shots hit their target and everything became easy against Team Tricolorii, the Romanian National Team in fact, with FIBA 3×3 World Tour stars Angel Santana and Catalin Vlaicu in the roster.
In the end it was an easy 21-13 cruising victory that could not be compared at all with the thriller from the semifinals, when Juan Vasco hit the game winner in overtime to put the team in position to win at least 1000 USD, the prize for the second place.
Two Serbian teams finished the tournament on the 3rd and 4th place, Ballerz and Ranch, while the other three Romanian teams, Salajan Hustlers, Rahova’s Finest and Choco Loco ended their quest in the quarter finals. Team Wild Snakes from Poland was also among the Last 8, losing with Ballerz in overtime, by a single point, 19-20.
While Team Albania was the only one that took part in all three editions of the Raiffeisen Bank Bucharest Challenger, teams from Georgia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Croatia and the winners from Spain, were for the first time in Bucharest.
The tournament featured five players from Top 25 FIBA 3×3 World Rankings, with Catalin Vlaicu from Romania being the highest seed, no 13. Vlaicu climbed on 11th place in the World after the tournament.
