Astana (GNP): The Round of 16 stage of the Phygital Basketball competition, presented by Halyk Fund, reached a tense conclusion on Day 3 at the Qazaqstan stadium in Astana, where eight teams fought for a place in the quarterfinals, and four were eliminated after a night of narrow margins and reversals of fortune.
The opening tie pitted HandsomeMDMX, widely regarded as one of the strongest sides in the digital stage so far, against Flow Game Basketball. HandsomeMDMX built an early six-point cushion in the digital phase, winning that segment 20-14, but Flow Game Basketball refused to fold.
The gap closed steadily through the physical stage until the two sides were level at 28-28 with just over a minute remaining, and the lead continued to change hands before Flow Game Basketball emerged with a one-point win, 33-32 overall.
Team member Ramiro Stehli said afterward that his side had studied HandsomeMDMX’s digital-stage strength closely and set out to stay competitive in that phase before disrupting their opponents physically, denying them space and easy scoring chances, adding that the team is now focused on preparing one match at a time rather than looking ahead.
That result set the tone for a night in which no team was prepared to settle for a comfortable margin. Zagrebacki malisani NITUI and MINSK produced the most dramatic contest of the tournament so far, trading the lead throughout and reaching the final seconds locked at 30-31 before a last-gasp shot from MINSK’s Tsimafei Paraliou forced a 31-31 tie and the competition’s first decider.
Both sides missed their opening attempts under the pressure of sudden-death free throws, but Paraliou’s composure held once more and MINSK edged through 2-1 on free throws to reach the quarterfinals, eliminating one of the tournament’s pre-competition favorites in the process.
Host nation representatives PBC Astana then took to the court against Valencia Basket in front of a crowd evenly split between the two sets of supporters. Valencia Basket controlled the digital stage behind Marcos Reos’s early three-point shooting and carried a narrow lead into the physical phase, where the scores stayed level deep into the closing minutes.
With three minutes remaining the match was tied at 29-29, before PBC Astana found a decisive burst of scoring to move ahead 33-29 with under 40 seconds left. A late Reos basket narrowed the gap but arrived too late, and PBC Astana held on to win 34-31 in front of a jubilant home crowd, sending Valencia Basket out of the competition.
The night’s final match saw Paris Phygital take a five-point lead into the physical stage against Boca Juniors, only for the Argentine side to respond with a sustained partnership between players Nacho and Facu. Boca Juniors erased the deficit inside the final three minutes and took the lead with roughly 90 seconds to play, ultimately closing out a 35-31 win that eliminated Paris Phygital.
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Team representative Bryan Pamba said the side had competed against a strong opponent and built a solid digital-stage lead, framing the outcome as a shared result for the team regardless of the score, and expressed confidence that the phygital format represents the future direction of 3×3 basketball, with the Games of the Future recognized across the sport as a major event.
With the Round of 16 complete, HandsomeMDMX’s exit alongside Zagrebacki malisani NITUI, Valencia Basket and Paris Phygital has reshaped the tournament picture, and organizers say the quarterfinals are shaping up to be closely contested given how tight every playoff tie proved to be.
Coverage continues on Phygital+, the official streaming platform of the Games of the Future, with the Phygital Basketball quarterfinals set for 18:30 local Astana time the following day, alongside Battle Royale PUBG: Battlegrounds presented by Alatau City Bank from 14:00 and MOBA Mobile MLBB presented by Freedom from 10:00.
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
