Delhi’s Kiran Shastri celebrates his game-winning shot that lifted his team to the championship.| Contributed photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The VetHealth-Delhi 3BL emerged victorious in the second leg of the 2019 Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 Patriot’s Cup after they edged the Phenom-Basilan, 21-20, in the finals on Sunday, June 23, 2019, at the SM Fairview.
Ranked 14th in the world, the team from Delhi nabbed the win and the crown, thanks to a game-winner from Kiran Shastri at the 3:36 mark of the closely-fought match.
Down 19-20 with under four minutes left in the game, Shastri missed a deuce but was rebounded by big man Bikramjit Gill. Bikramjit then found a wide-open Shastri, who knocked down the game-winning deuce.
Read more: Gold Gym-Pasig overpowers Phenom-Basilan to bag Chooks-to-Go Cebu-leg title
Fil-Am guard Franky Johnson was on fire to start the game, scoring 12 of Phenom-Basilan’s first 16 points to give his side a three-point lead with 5:13 left. However, Bikramjit Gill and newcomer AJ Gill powered VetHealth-Delhi to a 5-0 run, giving the Indians a two-point cushion.
Needing a bucket to stop the bleeding, import Marcus Hammonds took matters into his own hands, knotting things up with a huge deuce with 4:10 remaining.
Inderbir Gill answered right back by willing his way to the paint for a lay-in to give Delhi the advantage but Roosevelt Adams was not to be denied. The 6-foot-4 sniper knocked down a deuce with 3:57 left in the game to retake the lead for Phenom-Basilan, which set the stage for Shastri’s heroics.
Indian national team member AJ Gill added seven points for VetHealth-Delhi.
Besides bringing home P 100,000, VetHealth-Delhi closed in on Gold’s Gym-Pasig in the standings. The Kings, who will miss the third leg as they will join the Poitiers Challenger in France from July 6 to 7, remain on top with 170 points. VetHealth-Delhi and Phenom-Basilan are tied at second with 160 points. Wilkins-Balanga completes the top four with 130 points./dbs