Riffa bow out in Shanghai semi-finals

Hangzhou capitalise as Riffa stumble under pressure

Riffa’s impressive run at the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Shanghai Masters ended yesterday with a 20–16 semi-final loss to hosts Hangzhou.

Strong start, costly fouls

Having knocked off Raudondvaris Hoptrans of Lithuania 21–18 in the quarter-finals, Riffa entered the last four brimming with belief. That confidence showed early as Jonas Foerts drilled a pair of outside shots and Milos Antic controlled the glass, helping them trade blows with the Chinese side.

But as the game tightened, foul trouble shifted the balance. Riffa committed 11 team fouls, sending Hangzhou to the line repeatedly down the stretch. Miloš Jovanović made them pay, scoring eight points including six from the stripe, while Filip Kaluderovic added another eight to push the hosts through.

Quarter-final brilliance

Donkor once again led Riffa with six points, Antic added five with a bruising inside display, Foerts chipped in four, and Van Oosterwyck scored one. Yet every time Riffa threatened to seize momentum — Donkor’s driving finish to cut it to 17–16 with 23 seconds left, for example — Hangzhou responded. Kaluderovic iced the contest with three straight free throws in the final seconds.

Earlier in the day, Riffa had displayed their best basketball in the win over Raudondvaris. Donkor poured in eight points, Antic dominated the boards with five rebounds, and Foerts scored five including a key two-pointer late. A 6–2 run in the closing minutes sealed their place in the semi-finals, marking one of the club’s finest performances on the World Tour stage.

Though their Shanghai campaign ended short of the final, Riffa leave with renewed credibility, proving they can compete with Europe’s elite and Asia’s best. With the World Tour finale set for Manama in November, the Bahrainis will have another chance to test themselves, and this time on home soil.