Game 1 (CBS): Enemies (1-0) vs Ghost Ballers (1-0)
The 2024 BIG3 Champions continue their path towards a second consecutive championship, taking on Ghost Ballers, who they haven’t faced since 2021. After trailing by 13, Enemies showed everyone how dangerous they can be when they’re hitting on all cylinders. Jordan Crawford and Elijah Stewart scored 36 of the team’s 50 points, and the Enemies outscored Triplets 27-19 in the second half.
Meanwhile, Ghost Ballers went toe-to-toe with Killer 3’s before coming away with a narrow 4-point victory over Killer 3’s. The guard play will stand out as Crawford, Stewart, and rookie Chris Allen will square up against Mike Taylor and Ryan “Hezi God” Carter. Lethal scorers with a plethora of movies in their bags. However, the determining factor may come down to which big men, Isaiah Austin and Chris Johnson, and which one has the better performance.
Game 2 (CBS): Tri-State (0-1) vs Trilogy (0-1)
Both teams are looking to rebound after a disappointing Week 1 performance. The additions of Kevin Murphy and Amir Johnson in the off season were supposed to make this team a title contender. However, Murphy and Jason Richardson combined for just 19 points on 8-of-28 shooting while the team scored 37 points, the least amount of points of any team in the league.
Trilogy on the other hand had a strong first half against Bivouac before tailing off in the second. Isaiah Briscoe scored a league-high 25 points but Trilogy captain Earl Clark shot 4-of-20 from the floor. It’s hard to think either team’s stars will struggle this mightily on the offensive end for a second straight. Expect big games from the team’s go-to guys.
Game 3 (X): Bivouac (1-0) vs 3’s Company (1-0)
It’s only Week 2 but this may be the most important game of the season for both of these teams. A 2-0 start is a major advantage for a team in the BIG3, but even more important for a Bivouac team that’s never made the playoffs and a 3’s Company squad looking to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2018.
Gerald Green had a team-high 18 points and knocked down four 3-pointers while his counterparts Garlon Green and Corey Brewer dominated the boards with double-doubles of their own. 3’s Company saw a balanced scoring effort amongst their team, with four of their five players scoring in double figures. This should be a physical game that will be decided by which team can win on the glass.
Game 4 (X): Killer 3’s (0-1) vs Power (0-1)
Tight losses in this league can be devastating, and one of these teams may very well suffer a similar fate in Week 2. Killer 3’s played their hard-nosed, gritty style of play well, and even out rebounded every team in the league. However, they struggled from beyond the arc
shooting a whopping 3-of-18 from long range. And despite a 20-point, 15-rebound night from Donte Greene, he shot just 1-of-9 from the three-point line.
Power on the other hand actually hit 50 before their opponent after coming back down 47-37 late. The problem was they only led by one, rather than the two they needed to secure the win. Nancy Lieberman’s team struggled in the second half prior to their late surge, but still got strong performances from captain Glen Rice Jr. (17 points) and rookie Marcus Foster (15 points). Ultimately, it’ll come down to which team can play two complete halves to the very end in order for one of them to avoid an 0-2 start.
Game 5 (X): 3 Headed Monsters (1-0) vs Triplets (0-1)
Despite returning only one player from a year ago, 3 Headed Monsters looked like a team that had played together for multiple years. Every player scored at least eight points, and guys were moving the ball constantly throughout the game. For Triplets, Joe Johnson had another strong performance but didn’t get a ton of help from the guys around him.
In Week 1 the Monsters relied on getting to the cup and good shot selection to pull out the win. Additionally, they spread the ball well amongst each other. That will be even more vital this week as the Rashard Lewis’ squad will play with a four-man rotation as Jeff Teague sits out due to personal reasons. If Triplets hope to get back in the win column, they need their supporting cast to get going – mainly Jeremy Pargo who shot 3-for-12 and took only two shots from outside the arc.
Game 6 (X): Aliens (0-1) vs Ball Hogs (1-0)
Aliens will look significantly different after Paul Millsap suffered a lower leg injury in Week 1. His brother John Millsap will take over as captain while Dusan Bulut has been promoted to co-captain. Paul is out this week, but the biggest question mark will center around where the scoring load will come from after Paul scored 21 of the team’s 46 points last week. Enter Devin Ebanks, who will join Aliens from the draft pool and look to be a major contributor in the scoring department. Last year Ebanks was Tri-State’s third leading scorer, averaging 9.6 PPG.
Ball Hogs are on the opposite side of the spectrum, as they look like a team that has it figured out following a strong Week 1 performance. Leandro Barbosa looked like his usual self, leading the way in points and assists, but it was the defensive presence of Larry Sanders and the unexpected play of Lucas Mariano that put this team over the top. Fans should anticipate Ball Hogs to spread the wealth, look for the hot hand, and roll with the lineup that’s having the most success as they look to go 2-0 for the first time since 2021.