Game 1 (CBS): 3 Headed Monsters (2-4) vs 3’s Company (5-1)
The Week 7 opener features two teams with a lot to play for. One team is looking to stay in playoff contention while the other is hoping to clinch a playoff spot. For 3 Headed Monsters, they’re looking to forget last week after scoring just 18 points in their loss to Enemies. Additionally, they’ll look to have their entire roster available for the first time since Week 4. That’s really been the biggest challenge as the rotations have been inconsistent each week for Rashard Lewis in his first year as a coach. They haven’t had much stability, which had led to them constantly looking for a go to scorer while trying to figure out a defensive gameplan. They’ve given up the third most points in the BIG3 and have struggled to find their shot from the perimeter sitting in the bottom third for 3-point makes this season. Good thing is they get Brandon Moss back, who scored 29 points in his last outing. However, if they want to survive another week they’ll need solid games from a few different guys while trying to limit 3’s Company’s offense.
But that will be a tall task as 3’s Company has displayed one of the most efficient offenses during the 2024 season. Four of their five players are shooting at least 43 percent or better while featuring a top-10 scorer in Michael Beasley. Couple that with the fact that they also do it on the defensive end (third least points allowed) and feature one of the best shot blockers in the league in Sean Williams (t-1st in blocks in the BIG3) and it could be another long day for 3 Headed Monsters. Maybe 3’s Company will be a little rusty after their game was cancelled last week but look for Michael Cooper’s team to be motivated to secure their playoff appearance since 2018.
Game 2 (CBS): Enemies (6-0) vs Bivouac (5-1)
In the most anticipated matchup of the summer, two of the top teams will go head to head in what could be a championship preview. Enemies will look to stay hot and extend their win streak to double digits while Bivouac are hoping to clinch their spot in the playoffs. The defending champions are giving OG BIG3 fans deja vu of 2017 when Trilogy ran the table during the inaugural season. No team has found an answer for them offensively while defensively they’ve stifled their opponent’s offenses. Leading the league in both points scored and least points allowed, Enemies have a number of weapons at their disposal. Every player is shooting at least 41 percent from the field while four of their five players are knocking down 3’s at a 40 percent clip or better. And while Jordan Crawford hasn’t been in the same supernova mode he was in last season, he still sits in the top-10 in scoring alongside fellow backcourt mate Elijah Stewart. To think this team has been this strong on offense while coming off a game in which they allowed the least amount of points in BIG3 history is a scary sight for the rest of the league. This team’s looking to make more history and can inch closer to an undefeated season if they continue this same type of play.
Bivouac on the other hand is looking to rebound for the first time this season. They struggled to find offense last week but they were missing their entire bench in Gerald Green and Jaylen Johnson. That being said, both Garlon Green and Javier Carter weren’t their usual selves both struggling to contribute on the offensive end. Luckily, Corey Brewer stayed hot putting up 24 points with 18 of those coming in the second half alone. However, this team’s bread and butter has been on the defensive end and in Week 6 they weren’t as menacing on that side of the ball. They had no answer for Chris Johnson (who scored 28 points) and they weren’t able to cause turnovers eliminating any chance at easy baskets. If they want any chance to make history this weekend, they’ll need a better defensive effort while getting their firepower off the bench should relieve some of the load from Brewer.
Game 3 (X): Ball Hogs (3-3) vs Triplets (3-3)
There’s a chance that two more teams could punch their tickets to the playoffs by the time this game gets going. That means this game may be the most crucial one of the week. Ball Hogs are trending up after picking up a victory last week while the Triplets have dropped two straight. For the Hogs, they finally found the shooting stroke that’s been MIA all season and four players scored in double figures. Not to mention, they were to get some stops defensively, as well as, give themselves numerous second chance opportunities with their rebounding efforts. That being said, it’s basically been “live or die” by the 3’s and it’s mostly been the latter. They’ll need another top notch shooting performance while sharing the rock cleanly (had 8 turnovers last week) if they want a chance to keep us with the firepower from Triplets.
The same could be said for Triplets though. Turnovers have been more apparent during their two game skid and their role players haven’t been the same offensive threat around their stars. The good news for Lisa Leslie is that two key pieces in Joe Johnson and Jannero Pargo should be back this week. Jannero Pargo has missed the past couple weeks coaching the Indiana Pacers Summer League team while Joe Johnson was absent last week due to the flight cancellations. Those two alone should open up the offense for others, especially behind the 3-point line where they’ve been so deadly from (lead the league in 3-pointers made).
Either way, the team that wins has a chance to control their own destiny while the losing team will need some serious help from the rest of the league. With potentially one playoff spot left, the team that gets caught under .500 might be left for dead with just one week left to go.
Game 4 (X): Aliens (2-4) vs Ghost Ballers (3-3)
It’s going to take a lot of work and some luck for Aliens to get into the playoffs but they could shake things up with a win. After forfeiting last week’s game due to every single player on the roster getting their flight cancelled, you have to think this team’s coming to Cincinnati with a vengeance. This squad was building momentum after a big win in Week 5 and despite injuries and roster changes, Rick Mahorn’s team has flourished when given adversity. Devin Ebanks and Abraham Millsap have showcased they can be called upon when the team needs a bucket. Their Achilles’ heel has been on the other end but during their Week 5 victory they pestered Power’s offense causing multiple turnovers. They’re going to need that level of defensive intensity to get some easy baskets. And if there is a brightside, they do square off against a Ghost Ballers team that has struggled with turnovers all summer.
However, the Ghost Ballers may have figured things out at the right time. They played their cleanest game last week (one turnover) and their recent roster changes seem to have been for the better. DeWayne Jackson signed and debuted last week and that move paid dividends. Jackson put up 11 points, eight rebounds, and four assists while scoring nine of the last 13 points in their win. On top of that, Chris Johnson went off to the point where he earned Co-Player of the Week honors because of how well he played. Honestly, Johnson looks like a potential All-Star this season averaging 15.6 PPG and 6.2 RPG. It seems like George Gervin’s team is surging at the right time but they’ll need to keep the turnovers in check and limit Ebanks to really put themselves in the mix for the playoffs.
Game 5 (X): Trilogy (2-4) vs Tri-State (4-2)
Depending on how the day shakes up, this could be the game to pay attention to. Not only because Trilogy has won two straight and avoided elimination after an 0-4 start, but also because a win over Tri-State could send shockwaves towards the rest of the BIG3. This is one of the few regular season rematches we get within a BIG3 season and Trilogy seems much more equipped this go around. Isaiah Briscoe scored just 12 points the last time these two teams faced off but has since averaged 22 PPG while breaking the BIG3 single-game record for most points in a game. Additionally, Cady Lalanne and Roscoe Smith have adjusted much better to the BIG3 format over that timeframe. The biggest turnaround over the past few weeks has been the ability to knock down shots. Over the first three weeks this team shot 40 percent from the field whereas the last three games this team has jumped up to 49 percent. Lalanne has also shown why he was named a co-captain going from 2 PPG the first couple weeks to 12 PPG in his last three outings. Defensively though, they’ll need to get back to the way they were playing to start the season – mainly from the 3-point line (11 3-pointers made Weeks 1-4, 15 3-pointers made Week 5-6). We knew this team could be a scary team down the stretch but if they play a complete game they could really put themselves in playoff contention heading into the final week.
But it won’t be easy. Last time out against Trilogy, Tri-State put on a clinic and at one time held a 20-point lead over in that Week 2 matchup. Since then, Kevin Murphy has only gotten better. Murphy has averaged 25 PPG the past three weeks after posting just 16 PPG in the first three games. The former BIG3 MVP looks like he’s back in that mode and has helped Dr. J’s team win three of their last four. In fact, last week they won with just three players as both Jason Richardson and Henry Sims were inactive due to flight cancellations. While Richardson has struggled the back half of the summer (three points since Week 4), reality is Tri-State can throw a wrench in any team’s playoff hopes if they secure their fifth win of the season Sunday. And with the way they’ve been scoring and forcing turnovers (13 the past two weeks), there’s a strong possibility they walk away from Cincinnati with a similar outcome to how Week 2 went down.