With the Ghost Ballers, Power, and Bivouac all securing wins yesterday in Chicago, Week 7 Big 3 action concludes today in Milwaukee with a trio of match ups with things at stake.
3s Company look to continue their hot streak against the Aliens, the Triplets look to get to a league best 6-1 against a 3 Headed Monsters team that is desperate for a win, and Trilogy look to elevate in the standings and get past a Ball Hogs squad looking for their first victory of the season.
Game 1: 3s Company (3-3) vs Aliens (2-4)
The upset minded Aliens completed their task swiftly in Sunday's Milwaukee opener, disposing of streaking 3s Company - who had won three straight coming into today - 50-35.
Brandon Rush hit four three pointers in the first half, and big man Greg Oden was dominant - with 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks on the way to the victory. Rush - who had 23 points last week - scored 17, to go along with 7 rebounds and 3 assists.
3s Company, meanwhile, sees their three game win streak snapped from the loss. Andre Emmett - the reigning Big 3 Player of the Week - led them with 19 points and 6 rebounds. Jason Maxiell added 7 points and 3 rebounds.
With the loss, Company slides in the standings from the number 7 spot to number 9, now behind the 3-3 Ghost Ballers and 3-3 Enemies. They will look to bounce back August 17 in Dallas when they take on Trilogy. The Aliens, meanwhile, will face Tri-State in Dallas.
Game 2: Triplets (5-1) vs 3 Headed Monsters (2-3)
In the second game of the day, the 3 Headed Monsters - reeling from three straight defeats - came out of the gates strong, holding a comfortable 10 point lead at the half, 25-15, with newly added Al Thornton sinking a free throw for the 25th Monster point.
The 3 Headed Monsters then extended the lead to 14, however the Triplets' Joe Johnson got hot, as he has many times this season.
Johnson led his team on a 13-0 run, and then - with his team down 48-46 late - nailed a 4 point shot from the left side over Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, giving the Triplets the 50-48 win. The win improved their record to a league best 6-1, with their only loss on the season coming at the hands of the defending champion Power. Johnson led all scorers in the game with 26 points, to go along with 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Alan Anderson added 11, and Jamario Moon had 9 points and 6 rebounds.
For the 3 Headed Monsters, Mario Chalmers scored 16, while Abdul-Rauf added 14 and Rashard Lewis had 10. The loss is a crippling one for the Monsters, who lost their fourth straight game and drop to 2-4. They play the Enemies in Miami next week, a game that is vital for both teams. The Triplets, in their next game, will match up with the surging Ghost Ballers in Dallas August 14.
Game 3: Trilogy (3-2) vs Ball Hogs (0-6)
A hungry Ball Hog team looking for their first win of the season went on a 16-0 run to close out the first half as they took a 25-13 lead.
Trilogy bounced back in the second half, however - scoring 38 points to the Hogs' 18 - and won the game on a James White corner three that gave them a 52-43 victory. It is their fourth straight win, and puts them in 3rd place behind the Triplets and Power. David Hawkins led them with 19 points and added 4 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists, while newly added big man Samardo Samuels had 17 and 7 rebounds. White added 13 points to go along with 7 rebounds. The win for Trilogy sets up a good match up next week in Miami against the Ghost Ballers, who have won two straight.
For the Ball Hogs, the loss continues what has been a very disappointing season. They drop to 0-7 and are still without a victory. Deshawn Stevenson led them with 13 points and 4 rebounds, while Xavier Silas added 12 points and 7 rebounds. Things continue to get difficult for the Hogs, as they face Bivouac in Dallas in two weeks.