The second week of BIG3 basketball tipped off in Tampa's Yuengling Center on Saturday, highlighted by a pair of undefeated matchups along with other teams recording their first wins of the season.
The action began with a thrilling contest between the Enemies and Ghost Ballers. Both teams played a tight first half, with the Enemies taking a 25-24 lead at halftime behind an Isaiah Austin layup. With both teams tied at 28, the Enemies went on a 9-0 run led by two-way standout Isaiah Stewart. Ryan "Hezi God" Carter knocked down his second three of the game to get the Ghost Ballers within seven, 43-36, but the Enemies pulled away again. After missing a four-pointer, Crawford found the red-hot Stewart for the game-winning three.
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Stewart led the Enemies with 23 points and four 3-pointers, while Crawford -- who scored 20 last week -- tallied 12 points, five assists and two rebounds. For the Ghost Ballers, Taylor scored 11 points, five rebounds and three assists. Hezi God recorded ten points with a pair of 3-pointers.
The other undefeated battle to watch was 3's Company vs. Bivouac, which turned into another down-to-the-wire battle. After 3's Company took a 25-22 lead into halftime, Bivouac tied the game at 34 off of a two-hand slam by Javier Carter. 3's Company took control once more, but a Garlon Green 3-pointer tied the game at 42. The ending was controversial and "unprecedented," as Brian Scalabrine noted on the broadcast. 3's Company called a timeout when they had none left. Green made the technical free throw to give Bivouac a 50-47 win.
Bivouac's Corey Brewer broke out for 24 points, nine rebounds, two assists, four steals and one block. Green finished with 15 points, six rebounds and four assists. For 3's Company, Michael Beasley tallied 22 points and six rebounds, while Reggie Evans put up a double-double of ten points and ten rebounds.
Another notable moment came between the Power and Killer 3's. Power captain Glen Rice Jr. received his second technical foul for contesting an out-of-bounds call and was subsequently ejected. He eventually left the court after initially refusing to do so, and a successful challenge by head coach Nancy Lieberman determined that Rice Jr. was right. This marked the third consecutive season where Rice was ejected from a BIG3 game. He left with a final statline of 14 points, seven rebounds and one assist, while Power went on to win 51-47.
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Here are the remaining final scores and key takeaways from Week 2 of the BIG3.
Final Scores
- Enemies 50, Ghost Ballers 36
- Tri-State 51, Trilogy 40
- Bivouac 50, 3's Company 47
- Power 51, Killer 3's 47
- Triplets 52, 3 Headed Monsters 37
- Ball Hogs 50, Aliens 35
Key Takeaways
Isaiah Stewart Puts BIG3 on Notice
Following his 23-point masterclass, Stewart told BIG3 commentator Brian Scalabrine that the Enemies had been "disrespected" all of last season, which is why their energy has risen to another level this year.
"We have to be better by 15 points," Stewart said. "We the Enemies, we ain't getting no calls, we ain't respected. It is what it is."
Stewart echoed that message in his appearance on the BIG3's Hot Mic, saying, "We're in a different mode right now."
The Enemies' newfound energy, combined with the chip on their shoulder, led to consecutive wins that were highlighted by strong second-half performances. It's a key reason why they've become one of the league's undefeated teams, letting their game speak for themselves.
Tri-State's Statement Win over Trilogy
Tri-State did an excellent job against the three-time champion Trilogy in a must-win game. They honed in on the defensive end of the floor and shut down Briscoe, who led the league in scoring just last week. Jason Richardson broke out for 25 points and 11 rebounds -- including four 3-pointers -- while Kevin Murphy supplied 18 points, five rebounds and two assists. Tri-State was also able to contain Trilogy's main players -- for the most part. Briscoe finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists, but Clark led Trilogy with 20 points and nine boards.
And though Trilogy may be 0-2, they shouldn't be counted out just yet. The three-time champions of the BIG3 showed plenty of fight in the tough loss, overcoming a 20-point deficit to get within six, 46-40. Clark and Briscoe's promising performances showed they wouldn't be denied, even if the result didn't go Trilogy's way.
"My team is feeling this loss right now," Jackson said on the Hot Mic. "So hopefully, we'll be back next week with the old Trilogy attitude, winning to get this thing to 1-2."
Given Trilogy's track record, there's no doubt they can bounce back next week in what will be an uphill climb this season.
Brotherly Love
The Triplets captured their first win of the season behind superb performances from Jeremy and Jannero Pargo -- one of four sets of brothers taking on the BIG3 this season. Both of them have years of experience in the league, and it certainly showed as they helped the Triplets beat the 3 Headed Monsters 52-39.
Jannero Pargo made mighty contributions to the offense, pouring in 12 points, seven assists and seven rebounds. Jeremy had arguably the best second-half performance of any player in this young season, racking up 14 points -- including two 4-pointers and a 3-pointer in rapid succession -- in the period. He led the Triplets with 20 points, three rebounds, an assist and a steal. Top-tier performances like that will play a major role as the Triplets fight their way back to the finals.