Nate Robinson, Corey Maggette Shine in Friday's 2018 BIG3 League Basketball
July 13, 2018
The BIG3 returned to action on Friday at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, and there was no shortage of storylines.
This week's slate put the final two undefeated teams up against each other, with a pair of teams also entering play still looking for their first victories. Among the winless squads entering Week 4: reigning champs Trilogy.
Below is a look at Friday's action.
BIG3 Schedule/Results — Week 4
Trilogy (1-3) 52, Killer 3's (1-3) 39
3's Company (3-1) 50, Ball Hogs (1-3) 40
3 Headed Monsters (4-0) 50, Tri-State (3-1) 48
Power (3-1) 50, Ghost Ballers (0-4) 45
Trilogy 52, Killer 3's 39
It took the reigning champs four weeks to finally put one in the win column, but they used a strong second half to end their losing streak at three.
The Killer 3's found themselves playing short-handed nearly from the start of the game. In a 3-0 game in the opening minutes, Metta World Peace was handed a technical and ejected from the game for punting the basketball:
The former NBA All-Star entered the game averaging 9.7 points and 6.3 rebounds through the first three weeks.
Once the action got going, however, it was a tight battle throughout before Trilogy pulled away with a 16-2 run to end the game.
Al Harrington led the way for Trilogy, going off for 19 points and five rebounds. He did have help, though, as James White (12 points and six rebounds) and Derrick Byars (13 points) both reached double-figures as well.
On the other side, Josh Powell (14 points and five rebounds) and Stephen Jackson (11 points, eight rebounds and two assists) kept the Killer 3's in the game despite losing a key player nearly from the start.
3's Company 50, Ball Hogs 40
The Ball Hogs managed to get their first win of the season last week, but on this day, a well-balanced effort from 3's Company was too much to overcome.
Early on, this contest was as tight as possible, with the two teams battling to see who would take the lead into halftime after being tied at 24 points apiece. But after the break, it was 3's Company that came out with more juice.
Led by DerMarr Johnson (15 points, seven rebounds, three assists and one steal), 3's Company had three different players reach double-figures and five players with at least six points. Baron Davis (10 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal) and Andre Emmett (10 points, three rebounds and two assists) were among the contributors.
The Ball Hogs had three players in double-figures as well—but they just didn't get enough help from the rest of the roster. Jermaine Taylor (14 points) led his team in scoring on this night. Fan favorite Brian Scalabrine added three points and four rebounds.
3 Headed Monsters 50, Tri-State 48
Two teams entered Little Caesars Arena undefeated on Friday, but only one was able to walk away with its perfect record.
And this battle of unbeatens lived up to the hype and then some.
It didn't look good for the 3 Headed Monsters early on as Nate Robinson took over late in the first half by scoring 12 of Tri-State's final 14 points before intermission. He used the opening period to show off his range, as he knocked down two treys and a half-ending four-pointer.
And while he got plenty of buckets himself, his best highlight of the night may have come on an assist:
The man now known as Boots did not score after the break, though, and he wound up getting ejected late after receiving a pair of technicals while arguing with the referees on separate occasions during the second half.
The 3 Headed Monsters battled back from an eight-point halftime deficit to make it a game coming out of the break. They managed to finally jump out in front late and found a way to make just enough plays to earn their second consecutive walk-off victory.
Reggie Evans (18 points and 12 rebounds) and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (14 points and four assists) carried the 3 Headed Monsters to victory, while Amar'e Stoudemire (14 points and six rebounds) and David Hawkins (13 points, three rebounds and three assists) provided support for Tri-State.
The 3 Headed Monsters are now the lone remaining undefeated team in the BIG3. They will put their perfect record on the line against 3's Company in Week 5.
Power 50, Ghost Ballers 45
The Ghost Ballers entered Week 4 without a victory to their name, and Power made sure to keep it that way.
Former first-round pick Ricky Davis helped the Ghost Ballers take a five-point lead into the break behind 11 first-half points. However, Corey Maggette (19 points, seven rebounds and three assists) proved to be too much to handle.
Power took charge by opening the second half on a 17-5 run, and they never looked back. Maggette was a force, but it wasn't a one-man show. Glen "Big Baby" Davis (11 points and seven rebounds) and Cuttino Mobley (nine points and seven rebounds) also contributed to the victory.
Although it came during a losing effort, Carlos Boozer (15 points and 16 rebounds) made his presence felt with a monster double-double. Davis finished the game with 16 points.
Ghost Ballers will take on Tri-State (3-1), who lost on a walk-off on Friday, in Week 5 in search of that elusive first victory.