London 3x3 hit the ground running in Shibuya

A cohesive performance from the new look British side sees an early Crvena Zvezda lead overturned in a physical contest.

London 3x3 are now guaranteed to feature in Sunday’s playoff draw as their 17-15 victory over Crvena Zvezda eliminates the Serbians from contention. The final matchup of Pool D against Toronto will determine who tops the group heading into the business end of the Shibuya Challenger.  

Whilst Crvena Zvezda had the benefit of playing two games to progress through the qualifying draw, London entered this matchup without any competitive experience with their new cohort of players. Unsurprisingly, it was the Serbians who made the brighter start, moving the ball sharply and finding an early rhythm. A Vuk Vukcevic two pointer pushed them into a three point lead, but London remained composed and forced several misses to halt Crvena Zvezda's production.

London quickly found an offensive rhythm of their own as each player made valuable contributions that closed the gap and propelled London into the lead with less than five minutes to play. Debutant Veron Eze proved to be the spark that ignited the comeback, as his electric first step and crafty finishing at the rim saw him finish with a team high eight points and a game high 10.3 player value.

The other two London debutants also made important scoring contributions, as Khalfani Hill immediately added to London’s tally each time he checked into the game and Jamell Anderson showed poise and patience to find the right shots, including an emphatic two-handed flush.

However, it was the defensive effort led by Ashley Hamilton that enabled London's scoring flurry, as the combination of on-ball pressure and willingness to match the physicality of Crvena Zvezda proved to be too much for the Serbians to handle. A crucial defensive rotation from Hill, combined with Hamilton’s rim protection and Anderson’s ability to force turnovers at key moments down the stretch proved decisive in what was otherwise a closely fought contest.

Anderson sealed the victory from the free throw line and a Vukcevic two point attempt at the death wouldn’t fall, as London 3x3 began their 2026 FIBA 3x3 Pro Circuit campaign in style. London

will now look to continue building momentum against a forceful Toronto side ranked eleventh in the world, with bragging rights on the line ahead of Sunday's playoff schedule.