BIG3 BRINGS THE LOVE BACK TO PHILADELPHIA WITH GRITTY GAMES AND BUZZER BEATERS

July 1, 2019

– Tri-State Coach and Local Legend Julius “Dr. J” Irving Returns to Take on Hometown Hero Cuttino Mobley and the Defending Champions – 

 – LL Cool J, John Calipari, and Sonny Hill Take in the Hard-Nosed Competition– 

– Mike Taylor and the Ghost Ballers Rally Back with a Gutsy Performance to Remain Undefeated –

– 3 Headed Monsters’ Reggie Evans Adds to His League-Leading Rebounds and Steals Totals –

PHILADELPHIA – June 30, 2019

• Cuttino Mobley scores 23 points and the game winner in front of his hometown of Philadelphia to lead the unbeaten Power. The reigning champions are one of three teams to improve to 2-0 on the season.
• Ghost Ballers, led by 20-point outings from Ricky Davis and Jamario Moon, improved to 2-0 after an intense matchup with Josh Smith and Bivouac.
• Special guests this evening included LL Cool J, Philadelphia great Sonny Hill, and University of Kentucky head basketball coach John Calipari, who shared that the BIG3 is great for the game of basketball and that “The Players Association, even the NBA should be involved in this.”
• In Week 3, BIG3 will make stops in Birmingham on Saturday (Legacy Arena, beginning at 12:00 PM ET) where the ghost Ballers look to stay undefeated and Atlanta on Sunday (State Farm Arena, beginning at 1:00 PM ET) where the 3 Headed Monsters and Killer 3s will put their unbeaten records on the line.
• Today’s games aired Live on CBS Sports Network.

 

 

Game Recaps:

Bivouac 46 (1-1) vs Ghost Ballers 51 (2-0)

Video Highlights: https://vimeo.com/345355922/1c1f931f54

Game Summary:

The opening game at Liacouras Center featured the “Battle of the Unbeatens” as expansion team Bivouac took on Ghost Ballers.

Bivouac and Ghost Ballers are coached by former NBA greats Reggie Theus and NBA Hall of Famer George “Iceman” Gervin, respectively, and it showed in the teams’ scrappiness and stellar defensive play.

Ricky Davis (20 points) got the Ghost Ballers off to a fast start as he scored 18 of the teams’ first 26 points. Bivouac used a combination of Josh Smith (10 pts, 7 reb) and Will Bynum (17 pts) to help claw back after a slow start. The duo scored 19 of the team’s first 23 points and contributed to a 9-0 run late in the first half.

The teams continued their back-and-forth intensity in the second half, quickly trading early buckets.  Safeguarding a one point lead, Bynum blew past Mike Taylor (10 pts) with a smooth, highlight-real iso from the top of the key. Taylor remained focused, hitting back-to-back shots and creating several Bivouac turnovers.

Smith helped keep Bivouac in the game late with a few, key defensive stops. After a couple of missed opportunities, Jamario Moon (21 pts, 9 reb) pulled out the victory with an easy put back.

Bivouac falls to (1-1); the Ghost Ballers stay unbeaten at (2-0)

Aliens 44 (0-2) vs 3 Headed Monsters 50 (2-0)

Video Highlights: https://vimeo.com/345363229/759106fe6f

Game Summary:

In Game 2, the Aliens looked to grab their first franchise win as they tackled perennial BIG3 playoff team 3 Headed Monsters.

Similar to Week 1, the Aliens exploded out of the gate going on a 12-0 run led by Brandon Rush (15 pts, 6 rebs) who scored 13 points in the first half to enter the break up 25-17.

Hall of Fame Coach Gary “The Glove” Payton didn’t pull any punches during his halftime interview saying the 3 Headed Monsters simply lacked energy in the first half. 

Looking to crank up the fire early in the second half, the Aliens turned to their big man Greg Oden (5 pts, 4 rebs) to establish a low post presence after a lackluster first half which saw him sent to the bench after two early fouls.

With key contributions from Rashard Lewis (18 pts, 8 rebs), Reggie Evans (10 pts, 9 rebs), and Larry Sanders (8 pts, 10 rebs), 3 Headed Monsters answered their coaches’ challenge whittling down the deficit and bringing their team to a game point with a 47-44 lead.

Lewis has nothing but a game-winner on his mind as he nailed a clutch 3-pointer to close out a 14-0 run and secure a 50-44 victory to move his team to 2-0 on the season.

Aliens remain winless (0-2); Ghost Ballers stay unbeaten (2-0)

Tri-State 43 (0-2) vs Power 51 (2-0)

Video Highlights: https://vimeo.com/345368832/77ce85c89b

Game Summary:

Number 6, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, made his return to Philadelphia as his Tri-State squad locked horns with fellow basketball legend Nancy Lieberman and defending champions, Power.

It was an early “Battle of the Big Men” as Tri-State’s Amar’e Stoudamire (18 pts, 6 rebs) and Power’s Glen “Big Baby” Davis (10 pts, 5 rebs) came out hot. Cuttino Mobley added to the action and put on a show in his hometown, scoring nine points in the first half and pacing the Power to a 25-20 lead.

After surrendering a quick six points to open the second frame, Tri-State’s Nate Robinson (12 pts) single-handedly kept his team in the game, showing off athleticism and grit with a few nice finishes at the rim. First-year BIG3 player Yakhouba Diawara (9 pts, 9 rebs) also added to the mounting comeback, grabbing several offensive boards and knocking down open shots.

First-year player Mychel Thompson continued to find ways to contribute to his team, chipping in  6 points while pulling down 11 rebounds. Thompson found Mobley (23 pts, 7 rebs) down low with a mismatch against Robinson for the game-winning assist to close out the contest.

Tri-State falls to (0-2); Power remains unbeaten at (2-0)