JIMMER Fredette rose to the occasion by burying three pressure-packed free throws with no time left to steer the Shanghai Sharks to a thrilling 78-77 comeback win over Mighty Sports and capture the Merlion Cup championship at the OCBC Arena on Sunday in Singapore.
Trailing 77-75 in the last seven seconds, the Sharks went to Fredette, a former first round NBA pick, for their final play. The 27-year-old New York native was then fouled while launching a three-pointer as time expired.
But not one to disappoint, Fredette showed ice in his veins by nailing all three free throws for the win that gave the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) ballclub the first championship of the tournament after a 20-year absence.
It was a heartbreaker of a loss for Mighty, which led by as many as 69-55 early in the fourth.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph