The BIG3 took over Anaheim's Honda Center for Week 5 of the 2024 season, and after an action-packed slate both Bivouac and the Enemies remain perfect after wins over the Ball Hogs and Killer 3's, respectively.
After Bivouac took care of business in the opener, Triplets vs. 3's Company did not disappoint. 3C captain Michael Beasley led his team to a 50-42 win, scoring a season-high 31 points and pulling down ten rebounds. Despite the Triplets' efforts to cut the lead, getting as close as one point, Beasley and Mario Chalmers (13 points) came in with timely buckets.
Beasley had 19 points at halftime, outscoring the Triplets, who had 18. He told Brian Scalabrine that he knew he was a walking bucket on "January 9th, 1989,"—the day he was born. He also said, "I just want to win," and did just that, nailing a stepback jumper to get 3C to the 50-mark.
Another thriller came in the second-to-last contest of the night, as the Aliens overcame a ten-point halftime deficit to stun Power 50-41. Devin Ebanks nailed the game-winning four-pointer as the shot-clock expired, finishing with 21 points, four rebounds, one steal and one block. The Aliens outscored Power 34-15 in the second half to improve to a 2-3 record. Aliens forward Abraham Millsap finished with 15 points, six assists and three rebounds. Forward Glen Rice Jr. had 12 points, six rebounds and five assists to lead the Power despite the loss.
Here are the final scores and three key takeaways from Week 5 of the BIG3:
BIG3 Week 5 Final Scores
- Bivouac 50, Ball Hogs 33
- 3's Company 50, Triplets 42
- Enemies 50, Killer 3's 41
- Trilogy 50, Ghost Ballers 40
- Aliens 50, Power 41
- Tri-State 50, 3 Headed Monsters 36
Key Takeaways
Bivouac 5-0, Brewer for MVP?
By the end of the first half, the Ball Hogs had people believing they could end Bivouac's undefeated run. That is, until Corey Brewer and his team took control in the second half. After trailing 26-21 at halftime and struggling to contain Leandro Barbosa's 12 points, Bivouac went on a massive 23-4 run to remind the Ball Hogs and BIG3 who's number one in the league. Leading 46-30, Brewer had the chance to ice the game, though his bold four-point attempt went in and out, but he redeemed himself a couple possessions later, swishing a fadeaway jumper for a 50-33 win.
Revenge season for @TheCoreyBrewer 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1dKhH2pU7P
— BIG3 (@thebig3) July 14, 2024
"I'm playing some of my basketball, I love to hoop," Brewer said. "I was at [Disneyland] with my four-year-old on my back all day yesterday. I was a little tired in the first half. But when you're a hooper, you fight through stuff like that. And they put us on CBS! We gotta show out for CBS and get a win!"
Brewer also acknowledged how his name has sprouted into MVP conversations.
"It means a lot," he added. "Anytime you can be MVP of anything, try to get MVP. I'm also trying to get Defensive Player of the Year—don't forget about that block, now. Ain't just one thing, I'm trying to do it in all categories."
Brewer could very well be in the running for both categories, leading the league's last undefeated team standing while collecting the most steals in the BIG3 (11 after this week).
Trilogy's Losing Skid is Over
After four tough weeks, Stephen Jackson and Trilogy got back on track with a much-needed win over the Ghost Ballers. Big man Earl Clark led the way with 21 points—17 of which came in the first half—along with seven rebounds, one assist and one block. Isaiah Briscoe cooled off from his 37-point explosion last week with 14 points, four rebounds and five assists.
"I think this is a big win for us," Trilogy head coach Stephen Jackson said. "We had a great game last week when Briscoe had 37 points, but we came up short by missing a free-throw. The fact [is] that we still have a chance to get in, I think we just gotta take it game by game and keep fighting."
Jackson also touched on the work of Briscoe, who scored all of his points in the second half after starting the game 0-for-2.
"He's our best player, he's one of the best players in the league," he added. "I just always try to tell him what people used to tell us, 'Make the game easy.' As you've seen, when he gets the ball in the paint and post-up, can't nobody stop him."
Murphy and Moss Bring the Fire
Sunday's final game was far from a snoozefest, as Tri-State and 3-Headed Monsters engaged in a barnburner in the nightcap.
Tri-State forward Kevin Murphy was feeling it from the first possession, knocking down his first four-pointer on the first possession. He went on to torch the 3-Headed Monsters from deep, draining two more four-pointers as part of a 20-point first half. Some expected Murphy to come clicking on all cylinders, given that he was facing the team he played for from 2021 through 2023. However, he insisted in his halftime interview that wasn't the case, saying, "I'm just taking what they give me." He nailed a stepback jumper for Tri-State's victory, finishing with 29 points (11-of-18 FG, 3-of-3 4PT), four rebounds, two assists and one steal.
Brandon Moss was the bright spot despite 3HM's loss, also going for 29 points while chipping in 11 rebounds, two assists and one steal. Like Murphy, he built off of a strong first half when he scored 15 points along with six rebounds. He has continued to prove why he was the No. 1 pick in this year's draft, and is making a rock-solid case to be the frontrunner for BIG3 Rookie of the Year.
