The 2019 Big 3 Playoffs head to the Big Easy this Sunday, with semi-final action taking place from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The four teams vying for a spot in the championship are the top seeded Triplets, second place Killer 3s, third place Power, and the fourth-seeded 3 Headed Monsters. Bivouac and 3s Company will also play in the 5th Place game. The losing teams in the semi-final games will play on September 1 in Los Angeles for 3rd place prior to the championship game.
The Triplets - who finished the regular season at 7-1 - were the best team in the league throughout, and have the Big 3's best player in Joe Johnson. The Killer 3s started the season strong but were 2-3 in the final five games and should be considered fortunate to have held on to get into the playoffs. The defending champion Power have dropped two straight games and are without their second leading scorer Cuttino Mobley, who is out for the remainder of the season with a torn calf. The 3 Headed Monsters, meanwhile, are the team that has gotten hot at the right time, having won 2 straight games heading into the playoffs. The action begins at 1pm Eastern on Sunday.
5th Place Game: 3s Company (4-4) vs Bivouac (4-4) - 1PM CBS Sports Network
Both 3s Company and Bivouac had their chance at the playoffs last week, and both fell short. Bivouac blew an 8-point halftime advantage to the Ball Hogs, who pulled off a 50-48 victory for their only win of the season. 3s Company, on the other hand, was dominant in their game against Trilogy - holding them to just 8 second half points en route to a 50-28 win - but did not get the necessary help needed to receive a playoff berth.
Both teams previously met in Week 5, with 3s Company getting at the time what was their second straight victory after an 0-3 start, winning the game convincingly 50-34. Andre Emmett - the 6th leading scorer over the course of the regular season at 16.8 per game - had 23 points and 9 rebounds in the game, and will be a point of emphasis for Bivouac this weekend in terms of who they need to slow down. The absence of Bivouac's Will Bynum in Week 5, though, cannot be overlooked. Bynum averaged 18.2 points per game this season (3rd in the Big 3), and will be an extremely tough cover for Company. His ball handling and quickness have been an issue for opposing teams all season.
Bivouac will also need strong showings from Josh Smith and Shawne Williams, with their athleticism and activity being things that can bother Company's Jason Maxiell and Drew Gooden. If they can get something close to the 15-point output they received from Anthony Morrrow in the first match up between the two teams - which will add to what Bynum is likely to give them - they should be in the driver's seat and should take 5th place.
Conversely, Andre Emmett will need to continue to be Company's aggressor, and they will need strong efforts on the boards from Jason Maxiell and Drew Gooden. If they can control the glass and if Emmett is on his game, Company could walk away from New Orleans as 5th-place finishers.
Semi-Final #1: Triplets (1 seed, 7-1) vs 3 Headed Monsters (4 seed, 4-4) - 2PM CBS
On paper, you might say that the Triplets have nothing to worry about in this game. 7-1, league's best team, with the league's best player. If you said that, though, you would be shortchanging a 3 Headed Monster team that is tough, skilled, and has great momentum.
Winners of two straight games, the Monsters are streaking. They possess two point guards who can score - in Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Mario Chalmers - a wing player in Rashard Lewis who is long, athletic, and can score, and a tough, hard-nosed interior presence in big man Reggie Evans - who is the league's top rebounder (10.9 per game), and a tough defender.
What makes this match up even more intriguing is the fact that, in the only match up of the season between the two, it took a four-point shot - and 26 points - from Joe Johnson to give the Triplets a 50-48 win. Even more, the Monsters had their number early on, leading 25-15 at the half. Chalmers and Abdul-Rauf combined for 30 points and 4 three point makes in the game.
The interior battle to watch is Al Jefferson and Evans. In their first meeting, both struggled (Jefferson 4 points/3 rebounds, Evans 2 points/2 rebounds), and will be looking for better games from themselves. The Monsters also have Larry Sanders, who is an athletic, active body on the inside and a shot blocker who gives them protection at the rim.
The Triplets are the top seed and the favorite in many minds to get the Big 3 title this year, but if their first meeting and last stretch of games are any indication, the Monsters will prove a stern test and could emerge victorious.
Semi-Final #2: Power (3 seed, 5-3) vs Killer 3s (2 seed, 5-3) - 3PM CBS
Power are the only team to defeat the Triplets this season (50-47, Week 5), but they are limping into the playoffs, losers of two straight games. Their second leading scorer Cuttino Mobley (17.0, 5th) is out for the remainder of the season with a calf injury, and they will need others to step up and help out leading scorer Corey Maggette (19.6, 2nd) if they are to repeat as champions. They are coming off of a 6-point loss to the Monsters, while the Killer 3s defeated the Enemies by double digits in their regular season finale.
In this particular match up - the teams did not face each other during the regular season - Power are the physically stronger team on the wing, with Maggette and Quentin Richardson going opposite Stephen Jackson, CJ Watson, and Franklin Session, while the teams match up more evenly on the interior. Power has the 6'8 Julian Wright and 6'9 Glen Davis, while the 3s boast big 7-footer Eddy Curry and the 6'11 Donte Greene and 6'9 Josh Powell. Davis and Curry is a match up of brute size and strength, while Green, Powell, and Wright can all shoot from the perimeter. Wright had averages of 10.1 points and 4.7 rebounds on the season, while Greene provided 11.5 points and 3.6 rebounds. Their match up will be relatively even in the game.
While the 3s do not have the perimeter size that Power does, they do have an advantage in quickness with Session and Watson. Session should be able to take Power's defenders off of the dribble, while Watson should keep them honest as a three-point threat. The key for the 3s is stopping Maggette, last year's MVP and one of the top scorers again this season. He is strong with a good handle and can finish inside as well as hit from the outside, and will need to be countered well by the 3s Stephen Jackson. Jackson, a 15.9 point per game scorer on the season, is capable of getting hot from three-point range.
Starting the season off 3-0, the 3s were thought to be early title favorites. Jackson had 22 points in each of his first two games, and accompanying his performances was at least one other Killer 3s player scoring in double figures. They will need that exact type of production on Sunday if they are to advance to the Finals.
For Power, it is the time for them to get back on track. Maggette can be their lead once again, but they need contributions from the likes of Carlos Boozer and Richardson along with Davis and Wright. If they get a well-rounded game, they will be in the Finals. If not, there will be a new league champion crowned on September 1.
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