League
BIG3 Week 5 Preview: Joe Johnson looks to topple Power, 2018 MVP Corey Maggette
By Derek Little July 19, 2019
After an exciting weekend in Providence and Brooklyn, the BIG3 has more thrilling matchups and storylines waiting in Kansas City and Oklahoma City.
Joe Johnson will look to take down the reigning champions Power, former NBA All-Stars Rashard Lewis and Amar’e Stoudemire go at it in OKC, and Gilbert Arenas and Enemies look to continue their winning streak against the relentless Trilogy.
As such, here is a quick preview for every game upcoming in Week 5 of the BIG3.
Kansas City
Power (3-1) v. Triplets (4-0)
Joe Johnson, the leading MVP candidate and his undefeated Triplets look to bring down the defending champions Power. 2018 MVP Corey Maggette made his return for Power las week, picking up right where he left off with 23 points and 14 rebounds. Look for these two to go at it.
The winner of this game will hands-down be the team to beat in the BIG3 and move on to be the favorite to hold the trophy when the season ends.
3 Headed Monsters (2-2) v. Tri-State (1-3)
The respective records might not suggest must-watch television, but Amar’e Stoudemire and Rashard Lewis might have something different to say about that.
Lewis (14.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and Stoudemire (19.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg) will go head-to-head bringing forth one of the best forward matchups the BIG3 has seen all year.
Moreover, Tri-State is a very good team staring down a 1-4 record. As such, this game has all the ingredients to be a magical one. It has the star-power with Lewis and Stoudemire, but also has a hint of desperation as a loss for both teams will be rather difficult to overcome.
Bivouac (2-2) v. 3’s Company (1-3)
3’s Company won its first game of the season against the Ball Hogs last week and will look to carry that momentum against a very good Bivouac team.
Bivouac might have had the toughest schedule to date, which opened against Triplets, Enemies, Ghost Ballers and 3 Headed Monsters, but managed to stay at .500.
Bivouac will be heavy favorites, but 3’s Company has a chance to win two games in a row and get its season fully back on track.
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Oklahoma City
Enemies (3-1) v. Trilogy (2-2)
Oklahoma City will see a matchup of David vs. Goliath, and that’s no slight to Trilogy who is the David in this matchup.
Enemies possess many big names with Gilbert Arenas, Royce White and Craig Smith running the show while Trilogy has won their last two in a row, including a dog fight against the Killer 3’s. David Hawkins who has dropped 21 points in each of his last two games.
Enemies with their tough-nosed attitude and defense have become the Bad Boys of the BIG3. After all, they’re led by Rick Mahorn, the original bad boy himself and trash-talking expert Gilbert Arenas, so the Goliath name really does fit.
Aliens (1-3) v. Ghost Ballers (2-2)
Greg Oden should create problems down low for the Ghost Ballers, assuming Carlos Boozer’s role doesn’t increase, as he’s the only one who can match up with Greg.
On the wing, matchups between Ricky Davis and Brandon Rush and Mike Taylor and Andre Owens will bring forth a dazzling ball-handling display in addition to many three-point bombs.
The Ghost Ballers should be heavy favorites, but the lack of size to match up with Oden could lead to problems.
Ball Hogs (0-4) v. Killer 3’s (3-1)
After an all-out war against Trilogy that ended in defeat, the Killer 3’s will look to bounce back against the Ball Hogs who have yet to win a game this season.
DeShawn Stevenson has been the lead man for the Ball Hogs, but he might not be enough against a team that boasts veteran Stephen Jackson, the great shooting big Donte Green and the electric Franklin Session.
But no task has ever been too tall for Stevenson. Remember, he completed the monumental task of stopping LeBron James in the 2011 NBA Finals.