Seven-time NBA All Star Joe Johnson, who was released by the Detroit Pistons in an NBA comeback bid this past October prior to the start of the 2019-20 season after starring in the Big 3 last summer, made his return to basketball on Thursday in “The Basketball Tournament”, the annual single elimination tournament that sees the winning team go home with $1 million.
Johnson, 39, announced on June 5 that he was joining Overseas Elite, who won four straight TBT titles from 2015-2018.
The #2 seeded Overseas Elite played the 15 seeded Armored Athlete on Thursday, and led 41-36 at halftime, with Johnson scoring 11. On his first scoring possession, the former Atlanta Hawks’ All-Star caught the ball on the right block and spun baseline and hit a layup. His second basket came on a rainbow jumper inside the 3 point arc off of a screen and got Overseas Elite out to a 12-3 lead.
Johnson was doubled frequently in the first half, forced to get the ball to teammates rather than have the opportunity to go one-on-one with his defender. The doubling and attention allowed for Johnson to find open teammates though, like he did when he found Bobby Brown for three as Elite took a 36-26 lead with 5:15 left in the first half for one of Johnson’s 4 first half assists. He scored 11 in the half to go along with 3 rebounds - in addition to the 4 assists - as Elite led 41-36 after a half.
Overseas Elite’s opposition, Armored Athlete, kept the game close into the fourth quarter, with big man Coty Clarke hitting on two free throws with 7:14 remaining to trim Elite’s lead to 5 at 61-56.
Johnson would check back at the next whistle, with Clarke hitting a three on Athlete’s next possession to make it a two point game. After a Johnson miss, Elite’s Pooh Jeter would hit on a 3 with 5:40 left to make it 64-59.
A Scott Machado three from Athlete would make the score 64-62 with 5:20 remaining, but Jeter hit two free throws to make it 66-62. Athlete’s Steph Hicks then countered with a free throw to make it 66-63 with 4:50 remaining. Johnson then missed on a layup, and Clarke hit a jump hook to make it 66-65.
With Elite leading 68-67 with 3:40 remaining, the Elam Ending target score was set to 76. Jeter was fouled and made a FT, and a moving screen was called as Johnson came around to the top of the circle for a dribble handoff.
On Elite’s ensuing possession, Justin Burrell finished a put back dunk to give them a 71-67 lead, five points away from the target score. A bank shot by Jeter made it 73-67, but Hicks countered with a three to make it 73-70. Brown, attacking, banked in a layup to make it 75-70. He would finish with 10 points.
Elite’s Franklin Session - who, like Johnson, is a Big 3 alum having played last year with Killer 3s - hit a free throw to win the game. He would finish the game with 10 points.
Jeter, with 22 points and 5 out of 8 threes, was named the Player of the Game.
Johnson had 13 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
The win for Johnson’s Elite team puts them now in the quarterfinals. Dakarai Tucker was the other Elite player to score in double figures, as he had 11. Clarke led Athlete with 20, as Hicks had 14 and Machado 11. John Roberson scores 10 for them.
Overseas Elite will play Herd That tomorrow, a team of Marshall Thundering Herd alumni who upset The Money Team, a 7 seed, 102-99 on Thursday.
Johnson, who it looked as though was easing his way into the game Thursday, will likely be more of a focal point as the tournament continues.
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