2024 BIG3 Week 3 Game Previews
June 26, 2024 - BIG3 (BIG3) News Release
Game 1 (CBS): 3 Headed Monsters (1-1) vs Bivouac (2-0)
A week after their controversial win, Bivouac looks to build on their first 2-0 start in franchise history. The Ants are off to a strong start in hopes of making their first playoff appearance and a lot of that has to do with the play of Corey Brewer. Brewer leads the league in steals while being top-5 in scoring and rebounding. Doesn't hurt that they are also one of two teams that have three players averaging double-digit points. Expect Bivouac to continue to play with a lot of hustle and win the 50-50 battle on their way towards grinding out another win.
3 Headed Monsters look to get back on track after a second half meltdown against the Triplets last week. They'll hope Marquis Teague can build off his 19-point performance but they'll hope to shore up their perimeter defense to limit the amount of 3 and 4-pointers so Bivouac doesn't go on any big runs (allowed 10 total makes from the 3-point line and beyond). Luckily for them, Bivouac has been one of the worst 3-point shooting teams so far and they get Jeff Teague back this week after being out in Week 2 due to personal reasons.
Game 2 (CBS): Triplets (1-1) vs Power (1-1)
In the two matchups we've seen between these franchises, we've gotten two instant classics. Both teams have come away with one win a piece and each team will look to take home the tiebreaker in hopes of moving to 2-1 on the season. Triplets came away with their first victory of the season after a 32-14 second half surge propelled them past the 3 Headed Monsters. The Pargo brothers combined for 31 points but defensively they'll need to lock up while making shots to contain Power's guards Glen Rice Jr. and Marcus Foster from catching fire.
Power also got back in the win column this past week as Foster continues to grow into a budding star. The 2024 second-round pick especially came on late in the game after Glen Rice Jr. was ejected following two technical fouls. The biggest question mark for Power centers around their slow starts. Last week they were able to maintain the lead from ballooning too much but if Triplets goes on a run they could find themselves in a hole (similar to 3 Headed Monsters last week) that they won't be able to dig themselves out of.
Game 3 (X): Ball Hogs (1-1) vs Ghost Ballers (1-1)
Both of these squads are looking to leave Week 2 in the rearview mirror following similar paths through the first two weeks. Promising Week 1's and disappointing Week 2's left fans wondering where these teams will finish in the standings at the end of the summer. Now each team will look to showcase why they're a contender rather than a pretender. For Ball Hogs, it's pretty straightforward - they have to make shots while getting a few more stops. They shot a whopping 1-for-14 from 3-point range while their opponents shot 46 percent from the perimeter. Additionally, this needs to be a week where former 4th Man of the Year DaJuan Summers gets going after two straight goose eggs in stat sheet to start the season.
Meanwhile, Ghost Ballers struggled in the second half last week after trailing by just a point going into halftime. Turnovers have been an issue in 2024 as they lead the BIG3 through two weeks so they'll need to limit them in order to keep Ball Hogs from getting easy buckets. Mike Taylor leads the team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals currently so look for other guys to step up to take some of the load off the two-time Trash Talker of the Year.
Game 4 (X): Tri-State (1-1) vs Killer 3's (0-2)
Tri-State showcased the type of firepower they have during their first win of the season. In fact, they led by 20 at one point in the second half behind Week 2 Player of the Week Jason Richardson's 25-point, 11-rebound performance. It certainly helped that Kevin Murphy looks back in full form after putting up a season high 18 points. That being said, they'll hope to get more from Amir Johnson, especially from a rebounding perspective, as they've lost the battle on the glass two straight weeks and face a Killer 3's team that leads the league in that category.
Killer 3's on the other hand desperately needs a win this week or they may be looking at a lost season. Despite having the top scorer in the league, Donte Greene, and the best rebounding team, they've struggled to close out games. Josh Powell has been a nice surprise so far (second in the BIG3 in rebounds) but getting their first win will come down to the play of their guards Franklin Session and Dominique Johnson. Both guys have had challenges getting shots to fall shooting just 11-of-37 so far.
Game 5 (X): Aliens (1-1) vs Enemies (2-0)
Aliens may be the biggest mystery in the league so far. They lose a close one in Week 1 with Paul Millsap, but win convincingly in Week 2 without him. So which Aliens team will we get in Week 3? Last week we saw a balanced scoring effort with four of their five players finishing in double figures. Recent addition Devin Ebanks fit right in as well, scoring 10 points and grabbing seven rebounds in his team debut.
However, they'll need to come up with a game plan to slow down both Jordan Crawford and Elijah Stewart to have a chance. Enemies have gotten big time performances (Crawford 20 points in Week 1, Stewart 23 points in Week 2) from both of their lead guards in each of their wins. They've also dominated the second halves asserting their dominance as the reigning BIG3 champions. Isaiah Austin may be the real difference maker this week as Aliens struggled to contain the size of Larry Sanders last week. With Austin being more of an offensive-minded player, it could be something the Enemies take advantage of in hopes of staying undefeated.
Game 6 (X): 3's Company (1-1) vs Trilogy (0-2)
3's Company suffered a tough blow losing on a technicality last week. That being said, this team should be excited about their potential as they haven't had trouble knocking down shots. Michael Cooper's squad has made 46 percent of their shots to kick off the 2024 campaign with new additions Reggie Evans, Nasir Core, and Sean Williams all shooting 42 percent or better. As long as 3's Company can stay out of foul trouble (league-high 30) and close games out, they should have a good shot of making their first playoff appearance since the 2018 season.
In the case of Trilogy, it's a completely different story. It's the third time they've started 0-2 in team history. The last two times they lost both games to start the year; they missed the playoffs. The three-time champs have put together a solid defensive unit, leading the league in blocks and second in steals, but have struggled to find offense outside of Isaiah Briscoe and Earl Clark. Maybe they can change the course of history, but they'll definitely need some help from their supporting cast in order to get their first win.
• Discuss this story on the BIG3 message board...
BIG3 Stories from June 26, 2024
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
