London prevail in major Semi Final upset over Ub

London storm into their first World Tour Final with a spectacular victory over the top ranked side.

London came into the contest looking like a team on a mission, fresh off an upset win over Chongming. Their confidence was sky high and with memories of a triumph over Ub earlier in the season, they took to the court determined to repeat their success and book a historic place in the Deqing World Tour Final.

Nenad Nerandzic opened the scoring with a powerful drive and two-handed jam, reminding everyone why Ub hold the number one ranking spot. However, Justin Pierce refused to let London fall behind early, drilling a high arcing two-pointer as the shot clock expired. He was quick to find his grove and moments later, another long range shot put London three points clear as Pierce continued his red hot form, finishing with a game-high 11 points.

From the outset, it was a back and forth thriller. Ub battled back through slick linkup play between Strahinja Stojacic and Nemanja Barac. After a heated sequence that saw London appeal for a goaltend and Ub for a foul, Pierce calmly sank a free throw to steady London's campaign. Jerome Desrosiers then powered his way inside for a trademark finish to restore London’s lead.

Ub’s frustration began to show as Stojacic picked up his team’s fifth foul, and Desrosiers made them pay with a smooth two-pointer to extend the gap. But Stojacic wasn’t done - the Serbian star responded with a flurry of assists and finishes to tie proceedings at 8-8. Pierce answered emphatically, throwing down a thunderous dunk that sent Nerandzic tumbling.

Evan Walshe burst into the game, faking his defender and finding Desrosiers for two fast buckets before drawing an offensive foul and capping the sequence with a slick reverse layup. Pierce, relentless as ever, stayed dialled in, splashing another deep two before hammering home a dunk to make it 18-18 in a tense deadlock.

The decisive moment came when Marko Brankovic missed both free throws, leaving the door open for London to take control. Desrosiers seized the moment, burying a two-pointer to bring London within one point of victory. Stojacic tried to drag his team back with another drive to the rim, finishing with an impressive 11.5 player value, but this was London’s night.

Fittingly, it was Justin Pierce who had the final say. Off a crisp Ryan Langborg feed, he delivered the decisive blow, sealing a 21-19 win and sending London to their first ever World Tour Final.