Also, tough luck continues for the Ball Hogs
• 2 min read
The fifth week of the 2022 BIG3 season was a bit unique. Instead of the games being spread out over two days, all six contests took place on Sunday at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas, just outside of Dallas. Dubbed the “BIG3 Ball Out,” the extended slate of games provided plenty of action and excitement.
In addition to being the only week this year in which all the games were scheduled for the same day, Week 5 also represented the start of the second half of the eight-week regular season — a time when the top-tier teams start to separate themselves from the pack. That was evident on Sunday, as Aliens and 3 Headed Monsters both improved to 4-1 while Ball Hogs (1-4) fell down to the bottom of the standings with yet another loss.
Before we move ahead to Week 6, here’s a look at the scores, current standings and three takeaways following Week 5.
Week 5 scores
- Trilogy 51, Tri-State 46
- Aliens 50, Ball Hogs 37
- 3’s Company 50, Ghost Ballers 36
- Killer 3’s 51, Enemies 35
- 3 Headed Monsters 50, Triplets 44
- Bivouac 50, Power 43
Standings
1. 3 Headed Monsters, 4-1
2. Aliens, 4-1
3. Killer 3’s, 3-2
4. Tri-State, 3-2
5. Trilogy, 3-2
6. Triplets, 2-3
7. Power, 2-3
8. Bivouac, 2-3
9. Ghost Ballers, 2-3
10. Enemies, 2-3
11. 3’s Company, 2-3
12. Ball Hogs, 1-4
Takeaways
1. Kevin Murphy lifts 3 Headed Monsters to win
The BIG3’s leading scorer so far this season isn’t Joe Johnson, or Michael Beasley, as one might expect. It’s Kevin Murphy of the 3 Headed Monsters, and he certainly put on a show for the fans in Frisco on Sunday. Murphy isn’t the most well-known player in the BIG3, as he acknowledged after his team’s 50-44 victory over Triplets when he thanked the league for basically putting him on the map. But that doesn’t mean he’s short on skill.
Murphy dropped 22 points along with four rebounds and four assists on Sunday. He also connected on a pair of 4-point shots down the stretch of the game that helped propel his team to victory, including the game-winner.
It was an impressive performance, and one that should help Murphy’s profile continue to grow. With the win, the 3 Headed Monsters moved to 4-1 on the season, and are now tied with Aliens for first place.
2. Ball Hogs alone at the bottom
Through five weeks of action, every team in the league has won at least two games this season — except for the Ball Hogs. Following their 50-37 loss to the Aliens on Sunday, the Hogs fell to 1-4. Their season isn’t over, but they’ve certainly dug themselves a sizeable hole that they’ll have to climb out of if they hope to turn things around and make the playoffs. To make matters worse for the Ball Hogs, guard Leandro Barbosa was forced to leave the game with an apparent leg injury, so his availability and effectiveness moving forward could be a question.
3. Triplets really miss Joe Johnson
After the first three weeks, things appeared to be going pretty well for Triplets. They were sitting at 2-1, and reigning MVP Joe Johnson appeared poised for another MVP-caliber campaign. Things can change quickly in the BIG3, though. Johnson missed both Weeks 4 and 5 for personal reasons, and Triplets went 0-2 in those games. Now at 2-3, they just have to hope that Johnson will able to return to action in Week 6.
