Saturday, July 20: Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
Game 1: 3s Company (1-3) vs Bivouac (2-2)
In the day's first contest, 3s Company got a much needed victory against a hot Bivouac team.
Building on a 26-13 halftime lead led by former New Jersey Net and Memphis Grizzly Andre Emmett - who had 23 points and 9 rebounds in the contest - Company continued its roll in the second half. Though Bivouac was able to score 21 after halftime, Company was able to build a big 17 point lead, 47-30, before forward Dahntay Jones closed the game out with a corner three ball, one of two buckets for him on the day, that gave Company a 50-34 win.
For Bivouac, Will Bynum's absence was felt in a major way, as the only scorer in double figures for them was Anthony Morrow, who had 15, to go along with 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Bynum had 15 last week to lead Bivouac. CJ Leslie, who had 12 points and 9 rebounds last week, was held in check, scoring just 7.
3s Company will look to get to .500 next week, though they have a tough match up against a Killer 3s team that coming into this week is 3-1. Company will need more of what Emmett gave them today to have a shot. That game is the week 5 starter in Salt Lake City from Vivint Smart Home Arena, home of the Jazz, next Saturday at 9pm. Bivouac will look to get back on track in the third game from Utah, as they face the Aliens.
Game 2: Triplets (4-0) vs Power (3-1)
Inactive: Chris Andersen (Out for season with torn ACL)
Week 5's most anticipated showdown lived up to the billing Saturday, as the Triplets and Power went back and forth in arguably the best game of the Big 3 season thus far.
Power, the defending champions, played great defense to start, and Corey Maggette caught fire early, as they jumped out to a big 19-6 lead. They were aided by Maggette's 10 points, as he was aggressive and looked to score, while also playing tough defense on the Triplets' Joe Johnson.
The Triplets, though, battled back before the end of the first half, as Johnson got going with 7 quick points as an 11-2 Triplet run cut the Power lead to 4 at 23-19. Power's Cuttino Mobley ended the first half with a baseline jumper as Power took a 25-19 lead.
In the second half, the Triplets began to look like the team we have become accustomed to seeing this season. Johnson, utilizing his size in the post and his handle to set up his jumpers, keyed an 11-4 Triple run.
However, Power forward Julian Wright, who received and will receive big minutes the rest of the season due to Chris Andersen's injury, came up huge. Wright scored 11 points in the second half, keeping the Triplets from gaining all of the momentum and potentially pulling away. The game was tight and back and forth in the latter moments, with Johnson finding big man Al Jefferson and shooter Alan Anderson on consecutive possessions to cut the Power lead to one at 48-47. Maggette though, who finished with a game high 20 points, iced the much anticipated match up with a pull up jumper over Anderson from straight away.
Wright and Mobley both scored 11 for Power, while Johnson led the Triplets with 19, with 12 of the 19 coming in the second half. Jefferson also played great for the Triplets, adding 14.
Power, who tied the Triplets atop the league standings at 4-1, were able to withstand a Triplet surge late and proved why they are defending champions. They not only have a group that is battle tested in the Big 3, but also a core of guys - Mobley. Maggette, and Glen Davis that had their share of NBA playoff experience. They receive a bye next week, before readying for a showdown at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL on August 3 vs the Enemies. The Triplets have a favorable matchup in Utah next week against the Ball Hogs.
Game 3: Tri-State (1-3) vs 3 Headed Monsters (2-2)
Inactive: Nate Robinson (eye)
Playing without Nate Robinson and needing a win desperately, Tri-State was able to pull one out and save their season, while the 3 Headed Monsters lost their 3rd straight game in the Kansas City finale on Saturday.
Tri-State coach Julius Erving had Jason Richardson and Amare Stoudemire on the bench to begin the game, which kept them fresh for the latter half of both halves. Starting for Tri-State were Yakhouba Diawara, Robert Hite, and Corsley Edwards, with Edwards matching the size and physicality of Monsters' big man Reggie Evans.
Off of the bench, Stoudemire entered the game and immediately went to work, hitting a turnaround jumper. Stoudemire would then hit on two from the inside and a free throw to end the half, giving Tri-State a four point edge, 25-21.
To start the second, Rashard Lewis - who finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds - got going for the Monsters, hitting two quick shots that were part of a quick 6-0 run that gave the Monsters a 27-25 lead.
Stoudemire then entered and carried the momentum he had from the first half, as he would score on a lay in and a pair of free throws to give Tri-State a four point lead. The Monsters then got in the bonus, and, while it looked like the game was going in their favor, they couldn't handle Stoudemire, who finished with 19 points and 9 rebounds and punctuated his solid night with a massive, one-handed baseline dunk on Evans. As the dunk put them up 47-42, the Monsters' Rashard Lewis scored on back to back possessions that cut the lead to 1 at 47-46. He converted on a long two in which he was fouled but missed the free throw that would have tied the game, so Tri-State had that one point lead and the ball with a chance to win it.
A lively, exciting sequence would then end the contest.
Leading by one, Richardson decided to go for the win with a three from the top. The shot, however, was air balled, and Evans - who finished with 14 points and 16 rebounds - rebounded the ball and attempted a lay in that was emphatically blocked by Stoudemire. After missing an initial three point attempt that would've won the game, Hite got the ball off of a scramble and pass from Richardson, and let a three fly from the right side that was nothing but net for the biggest of his 12 points on the day.
The 50-46 win was massive for a Tri-State team that - at 1-3 coming into the day - needed it to stay afloat and save their season. Instead of a loss that would have dropped them into the bottom three in the standings, the victory put them one game below .500. It tied them with the Monsters, 3s Company and Bivouac, and put them in a situation where they could potentially be tied with six other teams - the Ghost Ballers, Trilogy and Aliens to go along with the aforementioned three - depending on tomorrow's results.
Tri-State goes into their bye week with some momentum - playing next in Rosemont in two weeks against the Ghost Ballers - while the Monsters, looking to stop their three game slide, will next play August 10 in Miami against the Enemies.
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