NBA: The Big 3 heads to Chicago
In preparation for this piece, I attended Week 5 of the Big 3 League, in Chicago, Illinois, on Sunday, July 23, at the University of Illinois - Chicago Pavilion. There were four games, beginning at 2:00 p.m. and ending at approximately 5:30 p.m. Rashard Lewis and Al Harrington are amongst the most notable players. Ice Cube, the Big 3 co-founder, Chance the Rapper, and DMX were some of the celebrities in attendance. DMX also performed live midway through.
Ball Hogs (1-4) vs. Power (4-1): Power jumped out to an early lead, following a pair of Deshawn Stevenson three-pointers, and they were able to carry that momentum through much of the game, defeating the Ball Hogs, 51-34, as Stevenson scored 12 points. Rasual Butler, who is averaging 19.2 points per game, scored 17 today, in a losing effort, which knocks the Ball Hogs to an abysmal 1-4 record. Power, on the other hand, improved to 4-1 with the victory, which is good enough to be tied for second place in the league. These two teams seem like they're heading in completely opposite directions. Power should start thinking about a playoff berth, while the Ball Hogs could be looking at having the No. 1 overall pick.
Trilogy (5-0) vs. Tri-State (1-4): Trilogy continued their pure dominance, that they've displayed throughout the season, pushing their undefeated record to an impressive 5-0 mark. Rashad McCants, former Minnesota Timberwolves guard, dropped a team-high 19 points, including seven points in the opening few minutes. McCants' performance elevated his average to 18.2 points per game, and he is showing why he deserved to be selected with the No. 1 overall selection in the Big 3 Draft. Al Harrington and James White were also productive in the 51-38 win, which made Tri-State 1-4. Jermaine O'Neal, the team's best player, was out in Week 5 for an undisclosed reason. He's averaging 12.0 points per game.
3's Company (1-4) vs. 3-Headed Monsters (4-1): The 3-Headed Monsters came out of the gates on fire, namely behind Rashard Lewis' start, who leads the Big 3 in scoring, averaging 22.8 points per game. After dropping 30 (!) last week, Lewis looked like he was on his way to another big game, totaling 10 points in the first half. However, once the game was in hand, Sweet Lew became more of a facilitator, spreading the ball around, and getting his teammates involved. Lewis, a former NBA All-Star, finished with 12 points in a 51-32 drubbing. And for the second week in a row, the biggest story of the day, might just have been Allen Iverson's absence. His 3's Company squad fell to 1-4, tied for last place, while the 3-Headed Monsters improved to 4-1.
Ghost Ballers (3-2) vs. Killer 3's (1-4): In the final game of the day, the crowd was fully entertained, as we saw the best game. In a tight matchup, the Ghost Ballers snuck by the Killer 3's. Ricky Davis dazzled, making the fans rise to their feet, on a number of occasions, including an and-one dunk that tied the game at 46-46. Mike Bibby also helped the Ghost Ballers' late spurt, knocking down a four-pointer. Stephen Jackson dropped 22 points, after a scorching 16 in the first half, before missing a couple of key free throws down the stretch. Davis scored the winning bucket on an offensive rebound, hitting an 18-footer while falling away, signaling the final buzzer. The Ghost Ballers, coached by George Gervin, are now 3-2.
Photo Credit: Charles Post.
