Trilogy wallops Ghost Ballers, remains unscathed
TRILOGY drubbed Ghost Ballers, 51-36, to remain unbeaten in the sixth week of the BIG3 3-on-3 basketball league at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on Sunday (Monday in Manila).
Leading by only three points, 35-32, early in the second half, Trilogy coasted to a late 16-4 run en route to notching its sixth win in as many games.
Rashad McCants waxed hot from beyond the arc while James White and Al Harrington buckled down inside as the three joined forces to score 44 points.
Mike Bibby finished with a team-high 17 points built on 7-of-10 shooting while Ricky Davis added 13 markers for the Ghost Ballers, who dropped to an even 3-3 win-loss record with their second straight defeat.
Meanwhile, 3’s Company outplayed Power, 53-49, to keep its playoff hopes alive despite a no-show from its playing coach Allen Iverson.
Andre Owens sizzled with a game-high 25 points including a clutch triple while Al Thornton contributed 16 points as 3’s Company improved to 2-4.
Cuttino Mobley scored 23 points while Rasual Butler had a double-double of 14 markers and 12 boards for Power, which slid to 4-2.
As to Iverson’s absence, the league said in a statement that it did not hear from the former star player and vowed to look into the incident.
“Allen Iverson did not show up in to today’s BIG3 Week 6 game in Dallas as expected. We had no advance warning and do not have information as to all the circumstances surrounding his absence. The league is launching an investigation to gather all the facts and then will make an informed, official statement,” it said.
In the curtain-raiser, Texas native Stephen Jackson fueled Killer 3s to a 50-40 victory over Ball Hogs.
Jackson finished with 23 points, nine rebounds and three assists as Killer 3s seized its second win in six games.
Derrick Byars tallied 16 points while seldom-used Xavier Silas provided 14 markers for the Ball Hogs, who bowed out of contention with a 1-5 slate.
In the second game, 3 Headed Monsters punched a ticket to the playoffs as they nipped Tri-State, 50-45.
Rashard Lewis and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf drained the final 10 points for 3 Headed Monsters as the squad posted its fifth straight win after dropping its opening game.
The league’s leading scorer Lewis fired 25 points while Abdul-Rauf chipped in 14 markers.
Lee Nailon notched 14 points and Bonzi Wells had 13 markers for Tri-State, which got eliminated with a 1-5 record.