BIG3 BRINGS BIG CROWDS BACK TO MOTOR CITY
BIG3 WEEK 4 BRINGS BIG CROWDS BACK TO MOTOR CITY WITH FOUR HARD-FOUGHT GAMES AND DETROIT FAN-FAVORITES CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, RICK MAHORN, JASON MAXIELL, AND GEORGE “THE ICEMAN” GERVIN
– 3 Headed Monsters, 2017 Runner Up, Pulls Ahead of the Pack by Defeating Tri-State to Become League’s Only Remaining Undefeated Team –
– BIG3 Players Continue to Display Aggressive, Hard-Nosed Games Reminiscent of Bygone Era of Professional Basketball in Front of 12,702 Fans at Little Caesars Arena That Aired Nationally Live on FS1 –
– BIG3 Heads to Miami Next Week for Friday, July 20th games at AmericanAirlines Arena Live on FS1 Beginning at 7pm ET –
It’s here @thebig3 @LCArena_Detroit today w/ @icecube @BushmanOnAir LIVE Doors open at 5 Game starts at 6 pic.twitter.com/IOGNk5nFUA— 97.9 WJLB (@FM98WJLB) July 13, 2018
BIG3 drew yet another big crowd, treating fans to a fantastic night of basketball that included standout performances from star players, heated competition that led to the league’s first-ever ejections, and unsung heroes stepping up to help will their teams to victory.
3-Headed Monsters outlasted Tri-State in a battle to the end of a competition between the league’s only unbeaten teams to improve to 4-0. With leading scorer Rashard Lewis sidelined due to an injury suffered last week, the 3-Headed Monsters looked elsewhere for offense and used a total team effort to outlast Tri-State and hold on to first place as the league hits the halfway point of the regular season.
The league’s first trade of the season (Trilogy’s Dahntay Jones for 3’s Company Derrick Byars) paid immediate dividends for both sides at a crucial point in the season as the league moves into week 5 of 10 and the playoff picture begins to come into focus. Trilogy, last year’s undefeated champions, entered the night winless (0-3). Newly acquired swingman Derrick Byars contributed 13 points for his new team and hit the game winning shot in a dominant win over Killer 3’s. The win has the potential to reinvigerate Trilogy and propel the team onto a playoff trajectory. Dahntay Jones drained the game winning shot against Ball Hogs to seal the deal for his new team, 3’s Company, and keep them in the playoff mix with a 3-1 record.
Metta being Metta pic.twitter.com/xFos0gilmi— FS1 (@FS1) July 13, 2018
Metta World Peace and Nate Robinson were both ejected in their respective games for picking up two technical fouls, with World Peace earning his second after punting the basketball in protest after disagreeing with a foul call. Instead of throwing punches, this time he shook hands and posed for selfies on his way out. Robinson was also assessed 2 technical fouls and ejected for arguing foul calls, albeit without the same dramatic effect as World Peace.
BIG3 became a trending topic on Twitter with viral clips viewed and shared millions of times in just hours since the games concluded.
Official Week 4 attendance in Detroit: 12,702
Game Recaps:
Trilogy (52, 1-3) vs Killer 3’s (39, 1-3)
“Oh-and-three don’t mean nothin’,” said Trilogy’s Rashad McCants before the game began. McCants returned to action after missing Week 3 and finished with five points. The catalyst for Trilogy was co-captain Al Harrington, who opened the game with a 3-pointer to give Trilogy an early lead. Not long after Harrington’s first bucket, the BIG3 saw its ever first player ejection. Upset about a non-call, Killer 3s co-captain Metta World Peace picked up a technical foul, and then punted the basketball into the crowd. He was subsequently sent to the locker room. However, in drastically different fashion from his most famous previous ejection in Detroit, World Peace sat with fans to watch the remaining games, shaking hands and taking selfies.
The new trade addition Derrick Byars, who averaged 13.4 points per game last season with the Ball Hogs but had yet to play this season as a member of 3’s Company, came off the bench for Trilogy midway through the first half and immediately hit a jumper to give Trilogy a 15-11 lead.
The Killer 3s kept it close throughout and even took a lead midway through the second half. Three players finished in double figures for the Killer 3s – Josh Powell with 14, co-captain Stephen Jackson with 11 and Alan Anderson with 10. But after a Harrington bucket put Trilogy back up, 38-37, the defending champs pulled away. Byars hit a 3-pointer to make it 49-39, then hit another to seal the victory. Harrington led Trilogy with 19 points, including three 3-pointers. James White added 12, with a team-best 6 rebounds.
Trilogy is 1-3; the Killer 3s are 1-3
Ball Hogs (40, 1-3) vs 3’s Company (50, 3-1)
After Byars hit the game-winning shot in Game 1, the player he was traded for – Dahntay Jones – sank the game-winning free throw to give 3’s Company the victory in Game 2. These teams played a tight back-and-forth first half that ended when a 3-pointer by Baron Davis gave 3’s Company a 27-24 halftime lead. Davis had a team-best 8 at the half and he finished with 10 – but he suffered a right quad injury midway through the second half that sidelined him the rest of the way.
Jermaine Taylor (14 points) and DeShawn Stevenson (11) kept the Ball Hogs in the thick of it – and they actually led 31-29 when Davis left the game. That’s when 3’s Company captain DerMarr Johnson made his presence felt. Johnson had his best game of the season, hitting a pair of quick threes and leading 3’s Company on a 10-0 run that helped his squad pull away. Johnson finished with a game-high 15 points and 7 rebounds. Andre Emmett finished with 10 and Jason Maxiell had 9.
3’s Company improves to 3-1; the Ball Hogs are 1-3
3 Headed Monsters (50, 4-0) vs Tri-State (48, 3-1)
The heavyweight battle of the night lived up to expectations, as the last two undefeated teams in the BIG3 played down to the wire. Nate Robinson hit a 4-pointer to send Tri-State into halftime with a 25-17 lead. The shot capped a 12-2 run for Tri-State and gave Robinson 12 points at the half. It turned out that be the final basket of the night for Robinson.
The 3-Headed Monsters went on a 10-4 run of their own to open the second half, with Reggie Evans leading a very physical attack. Evans and Tri-State’s Bonzi Wells were in each other’s face much of the second half. But Robinson made a beautiful spin move and dished to Amar’e Stoudemire for a one-handed jam that gave Tri-State a 29-26 lead. The teams went back and forth after that. With Tri-State up 41-40, Reggie Evans grabbed a Tri-State air ball and put it in to give the 3-Headed Monsters a 42-41 lead.
That’s when Robinson got upset about a foul call and drew his second technical of the game – resulting in his ejection. Even with Robinson out, Tri-State fought back to 46-45. Woods made a jumper to give the 3-Headed Monsters a 48-45 lead, but then Robert Hite hit a 3-pointer for Tri-State to tie it at 48.
Gary Payton called a timeout to get Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf back in the game. Abdul-Rauf, who hit the game-winner for the Monsters in Week 3, had 14 points in the game and everyone expected him to be set up for another game-winning shot. So with Tri-State all over Abdul-Rauf, he found a wide-open Woods – who had a clear path down the middle of the court for a game-winning dunk. Woods finished with 10, while Evans was the game’s leading scorer and rebounder with his second double-double of the season (18 points and 12 rebounds). Stoudemire led Tri-State with 14 points and 6 rebounds. Hawkins added 13.
The 3-Headed Monsters arte 4-0; Tri-State is 3-1
Ghost Ballers (45, 0-4) vs Power (50 , 3-1)
The Ghost Ballers continued their string of playing tough, but losing close games. They led this one at halftime, 25-20, on the heels of Ricky Davis who led all players at the half with 12 points. Davis would finish with a team high 16. Carlos Boozer had another strong game, finishing with 15 points and 16 rebounds – his second straight double-double. But Power went on an 11-2 run to start the second half, led by another strong effort from BIG3 scoring leader Corey Maggette. Power built a 39-32 lead, but the Ghost Ballers fought back to tie the game at 43 on a Boozer bucket that capped a 12-4 run.
After Power scored to make it 45-43, Glen “Big Baby” Davis shocked the Ghost Ballers with a 3-pointer that put Power one basket away from victory. The Ghost Ballers closed to within 48-45, but that’s when Cuttino Mobley drove to the hoop for the game-winner. Maggette led all scorers with 19,Glen Davis had 11 and Mobley added 9. Maggette, Davis and Mobley each had 7 boards to control the action.
Power improves to 3-1; the Ghost Ballers are 0-4
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