In front of a sold-out crowd of 16,341 at the Toyota Center in Houston, players such as Nate Robinson, Baron Davis, Metta World Peace, Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis, Drew Gooden, Amar’e Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, and Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen made their BIG3 debuts.
Also, Nancy Lieberman, the first female coach to lead an elite men’s professional team, earned a historic victory last night.
Here are highlights from all 4 games:
3 Headed Monsters (50; 1-0) vs. Ghost Ballers (48; 0-1)
In a rematch of the first ever BIG3 game, 3 Headed Monsters earned another two-point win over the Ghost Ballers. After a back-and-forth first half that saw nine lead changes, 3 Headed Monsters led for most of the second half before falling behind 44-43. The two teams traded the lead before new acquisition Reggie Evans collected his own rebound off a missed free throw for a layup, which he followed with a made two-point free throw to put the 3 Headed Monsters up by two. Following a Ricky Davis tying bucket, the sweet-shooting Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf re-entered the game to seal the win with a jumper from the elbow.
Highlights:
3’s Company (51; 1-0) vs. Killer 3s (30; 0-1)
The new-look 3’s Company dominated Killer 3s in the second game with a 21-point win that was never in doubt. 3’s Company opened the game on fire, racing out to a 20-4 lead. Co-captain Baron Davis led the way in his BIG3 debut with 13 points, topping a balanced scoring effort in which four players scored more than seven points. For the Killer 3s, BIG3 newcomer Metta World Peace lead the team with 12 points, while Co-Captain Stephen Jackson contributed 10.
With the win, Cooper became the first coach to win a game in the NBA, WNBA, D-League, NCAA and BIG3.
Highlights:
Power 51 (1-0) vs. Ball Hogs 31 (0-1)
Power rolled to an impressive victory over the Ball Hogs. New additions Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis and Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen and a returning Corey Maggette gave Power a more dynamic attack than the 2017 team that finished third in the league. The game’s highlight came when Andersen made a thunderous block on an attempted Josh Childress tomahawk dunk. Following the block, the ball kicked out to Maggette who took advantage of the loose ball and finished with a jam.
The win earned basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman the first win by a female coach for a top-flight men’s professional team.
Highlights:
Tri-State 51 (1-0) vs Trilogy 34 (0-1)
Nate Robinson, dubbed “The Human Spark Plug” by new teammate Amar’e Stoudemire, lived up to his new nickname with an electric, highlight-reel performance. Robinson brought the night to a close with a show-stopping three-pointer over sparring partner for the night, Rashad McCants. The trio of Co-Captains, Robinson, Stoudemire and the returning Jermaine O’Neal, proved too much for Trilogy, who were missing Co-Captain Al Harrington.
Highlights:
