There were some big performances on both offense and defense in the first round of the playoffs. Here are five things we learned from watching the two games.
Tune in for the 3rd place and Championship games on Saturday, September 4th at 3:30PM ET on CBS
1.) Jarrett Jack is a walking bucket.
Jack nearly broke the single game scoring record in the BIG3 with 33 of his teams 50 points. Tri-State just had no answer for the offense Jack was bringing. After locking down Iso Joe in week 8 of the regular season, Tri-State could not stop Jarrett Jack. With that 33 point performance, Jack lifted Trilogy to the championship game against 3 Headed Monsters. Jack also filled in as player/coach in the playoff game with the absence of Stephen Jackson. If Jack can get it going like he did in the first round of the playoffs, 3 Headed Monsters are in trouble in the championship.
2.) Kevin Murphy continues to prove why he is one of the top players to not only come out of the draft, but in the whole BIG3.
Murphy dropped 29 points in the playoff game against the Triplets to propel 3 Headed Monsters into the championship. 3 Headed Monsters got their revenge on the regular season loss to the Triplets. Murphy finished the game with 29 points, eight rebounds and three assists. In the regular season Murphy averaged 20.4 points per game and was one of five player to average 20 or more. Murphy needs to have another big game in the championship if 3 Headed Monsters want to take home the trophy.
3.) 3 Headed Monsters got the win, despite a quiet game from Reggie Evans.
Evans finished with eight points and eight rebounds, which is a solid game, but he has put up double doubles week after week. In the 2021 season Evans averaged 14.5 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. If Evans can get it going alongside Kevin Murphy, 3 Headed Monsters will pose a big threat to Trilogy in the Championship.
4.) James White posts double double in a strong contribution to the Trilogy win.
James White is the only member of the current Trilogy team that played in and won the 2017 BIG3 championship. White’s performance got overshadowed by the 35 point effort of Jarrett Jack, but he posted 15 points and 10 rebounds. White also played some strong defense racking up three blocks in the game. White was efficient with the shots he took going 5-9 from the field and 3-5 from three point territory. James White will be key in slowing down the high octane scorer that Kevin Murphy has been this season for 3 Headed Monsters.
5.) Rashard Lewis locks down Iso Joe.
Lewis played some strong defense on Joe Johnson in the first playoff game of the day. Johnson finished with a season low eight points on 2-13 shooting. After having another MVP caliber season averaging 23 points per game and 10 rebounds, Rashard Lewis slowed down Iso Joe enough for 3 Headed Monsters to get the win. Lewis did not do the defending alone. 3 Headed Monsters came into the game with a plan on how to stop Iso Joe and they executed. A number of times during the game 3 Headed Monsters threw double teams at Iso Joe, which shut him down. It will be interesting to see if 3 Headed Monsters employ the same kind of strategy against Jarrett Jack in the championship after his 35 point performance in the other playoff game.
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