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BIG3 League Basketball 2021 Results: Joe Johnson, Triplets Win Tops Saturday Action
July 10, 2021
The Big 3 tipped off its 2021 season Saturday with six games from Orleans Arena in Paradise, Nevada.
Nick Young, Leandro Barbosa and Isaiah Austin headlined the new group of players joining the three-on-three league this season, while returning stars like Joe Johnson, Cuttino Mobley and others turned heads with their play in Week 1.
With just an eight-game regular season, teams have limited chances to show what they can do before the playoffs. Here is a look at how each squad fared in the first set of contests this year.
Scores
Power def. Enemies 51-46
Triplets def. Bivouac 51-39
Trilogy def. Killer 3's 50-38
3 Headed Monster def. Tri-State 50-39
Ball Hogs def. 3's Company 50-41
Ghost Ballers def. Aliens 51-45
Recap
Former Lakers star Nick Young was one of the biggest names entering the Big 3 this season, although he didn't do much to help his team in Week 1.
The Enemies suffered a 51-46 loss to Power, with Royce Young beating Nick Young one-on-one for the clinching play:
Cuttino Mobley led all players with 26 points on the way to a win for Power.
The game was also a breakout showing for Isaiah Austin, the former Baylor player who never got his chance in the NBA after being diagnosed with Marfan syndrome. He made his Big 3 debut Saturday and thrived with 24 points in the loss:
CBS Sports @CBSSportsIsaiah Austin was a first-round prospect in the 2014 NBA Draft out of Baylor, then he was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome which made him step away from basketball.<br><br>He was cleared to return to basketball in 2016 and he now has the first points of <a href="https://twitter.com/thebig3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thebig3</a> season. <a href="https://t.co/4YcgQsvNkL">pic.twitter.com/4YcgQsvNkL</a>
The Triplets won the second game of the day, cruising to a 51-39 win over Bivouac.
Reigning MVP Joe Johnson didn't miss a beat, scoring 27 points, including the game-winner for the defending champs:
Iso Joe added 12 rebounds and two steals as he remains arguably the best player in the league.
Former Kentucky player Isaiah Briscoe was the star of Game 3, scoring 28 points to lead Trilogy despite having several teammates with much more NBA experience like Jarrett Jack and Amir Johnson.
Briscoe made a trio of three-pointers to outduel Donte Greene and the Killer 3's.
A new addition also helped the 3 Headed Monsters, with Kevin Murphy the surprise star in the 50-39 victory over Tri-State:
The former G League player scored 19 points, including two three-pointers, on the way to an important win.
The Ball Hogs used more balance than other teams Saturday with NBA journeymen Leandro Barbosa and Jodie Meeks combining for 40 points in a win. While 3's Company had plenty of experience between Mario Chalmers and Drew Gooden, the team failed to generate enough offense in its first game of the year.
Barbosa sealed the 50-41 victory with a quick drive to the basket:
The final game of the day saw Mike Taylor and Chris Johnson form an impressive one-two punch for the Ghost Ballers that allowed captain Ricky Davis to have an easy day in a close win over the Aliens.
Former No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Greg Oden was held to eight points in the loss for the Aliens, while Renaldo Balkman couldn't carry the team to victory even with 14 points and 14 rebounds.
The Big 3 season continues next weekend with three games Saturday and three more Sunday. Trilogy will take on 3 Headed Monsters in Game 1 Saturday in what could be an important early test for both teams.