The final weekend of the 2019 BIG3 regular season is in the books. All the action wrapped up on Saturday evening in Dallas during the BIG3 Ballout, which featured all 12 teams and musical acts.
Playoff spots and records were on the line, and it turned out to be a historic day of basketball thanks to Joe Johnson. His Triplets clinched the No. 1 seed, and will be joined in the playoffs by Killer 3s, Power and 3-Headed Monsters.
Here are a few key takeaways from Saturday's action:
Week 9 games:
- Ball Hogs 50, Bivouac 48
- Triplets 51, Ghost Ballers 38
- 3 Headed Monsters 52, Power 46
- Killer 3's 50, Enemies 36
- 3's Company 50, Trilogy 28
- Tri State 51, Aliens 44
Joe Johnson makes history
The seven-time NBA All-Star has been the best player in the league from Day One, and put an exclamation point on his phenomenal season on Saturday. He finished with 19 points to lead Triplets to victory over Ghost Ballers, and in the process not only helped his squad clinch the No. 1 seed for the playoffs, but set the BIG3 single-season scoring record. Johnson finished the regular season with 175 points, surpassing Rashard Lewis' previous mark of 170.
“I still get butterflies in my stomach.”
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) August 17, 2019
38-year-old Joe Johnson talks about his love for the game after breaking @TheBIG3 record for points in a season. pic.twitter.com/KAZuvWpdbQ
Playoffs set
Joe Johnson and Triplets were sitting pretty heading into Saturday's action, and things only got better for them with their victory, as they clinched the No. 1 seed. Pretty much everything else was up in the air, however, with a number of teams entering the final day of action at either 4-3 or 3-4. In the end, Killer 3s, Power and 3 Headed Monsters clinched the final three playoff spots. 3 Headed Monsters secured their spot via a tiebreaker after finishing tied with five teams at 4-4. Their plus-19 point differential ended up getting them the final spot.
Here's a look at the four playoff teams and their seeding. The semi-finals will take place in New Orleans next Sunday.
- Triplets
- Killer 3s
- Power
- 3 Headed Monsters
Scalabrine, Ball Hogs get a rare win
It's been another tough season for the "White Mamba," Brian Scalabrine. The big man, and current Boston Celtics broadcaster, has been in BIG3 since its inception in 2017, serving as one of the team's captains. He hasn't had much success, however, with Ball Hogs winning just three games in their first two seasons. This summer didn't go much better, and heading into Saturday's finale, they were still winless. But despite having nothing to play for in terms of postseason positioning, Scalabrine and Co. still had their pride. They snuck past Bivouac, 50-48