Joe Johnson Carries Triplets To Victory In Big3 Debut

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – It was the opening weekend of the Big3 season and former Jazzman Joe Johnson did not disappoint with 27 points and 16 rebounds in his debut with the league.

The Big3 is in their third season, founded by icon rapper Ice Cube, which features three-on-three basketball with players that had successful careers in the NBA or overseas.

They have 8 teams, which includes 3 Headed Monsters, Trilogy, Power, 3’s Company, Bivouac, Enemies, Aliens, Triplets, Killer 3s, Tri-State, Ghost Ballers and Ball Hogs.

Johnson led the Triplets to a 50-40 win over Aliens.

Iso Joe put on a show to lead Triplets to a comeback victory over the Aliens!

Final Score:
Triplets 🏀 50
Aliens 👽40

Next game: Killer 3s vs. Tri-State #BIG3onCBS pic.twitter.com/mKg2NcXiuG

— BIG3 on CBS (@thebig3) June 23, 2019

The game does not have a time limit with the first team to score 25 points will send the game to halftime and the first team to score 50 points will win the game, but they have to win by two points.

Nine players play for the Big3 that have either played for the Utah Jazz at some point in their career, the Salt Lake City Stars and one player played one season at Weber State.

Here is how those players performed in the first week of the Big3 season:

Andre Owens, Aliens (0-1)

Owens dropped 11 points for the Aliens as they lost to the Triplets on Sunday. He added 4 rebounds and 3 assists and knocked down 3 three-pointers. Owens played for the Jazz in the 2005-06 season.

The Aliens will face 3 Headed Monsters (1-0) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Sunday at 4 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

Brandon Rush, Aliens (0-1)

Rush led the Aliens in scoring with 13 points and in rebounds with 7 as he added 2 assists and 3 three-pointers in their loss to the Triplets. He spent the 2013-14 season with the Jazz.

The Aliens will face 3 Headed Monsters (1-0) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Sunday at 4 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

DeShawn Stevenson, Ball Hogs (0-1)

Stevenson scored 10 points as the Ball Hogs lost to the Ghost Ballers, 50-39. Stevenson added 5 rebounds and 2 assists, while hitting two three-pointers. The Jazz drafted Stevenson with the 23rd overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft. He played with the Jazz until 2004. Will McDonald led the Ball Hogs with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

The Ball Hogs will challenge Enemies (0-1) in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday at 10 a.m. on CBS.

Jermaine Taylor, Ball Hogs (0-1)

Taylor left the game early in the first half with a bad leg injury. He played for the Salt Lake City Stars, the Utah Jazz’s G-League affiliate from 2016-18.

The Ball Hogs will challenge Enemies (0-1) in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday at 10 a.m. on CBS.

Carlos Boozer, Ghost Ballers (1-0)

Boozer did not play during the opening weekend of the Big3 season. The Ghost Ballers beat the Ball Hogs 50-39, led by Jamario Moon with 20 points, Mike Taylor with 15 and Ricky Davis dropped 10 points. Boozer played for the Jazz from 2004-10.

The Ghost Ballers will take on Bivouac (1-0) on Sunday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 3 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

Franklin Sessions, Killer 3’s (1-0)

Sessions had a great debut in the Big3 as he scored 12 points, pulled down 8 rebounds and dished out 4 assists to help the Killer 3’s knock off Tri-State 54-52. Josh Powell led the team with 18 points, while Donte Greene added 14. Amar’e Stoudemire had 26 points and 10 rebounds and Jason Richardson dropped 17 points and 10 rebounds for Tri-State. Sessions played one season with Weber State in 2010 with Damian Lillard.

Killer 3’s will face 3’s Company (0-1) on Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina at 12 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

Carlos Arroyo, Trilogy (0-1)

Arroyo did not play for Trilogy during the opening weekend of the Big3. Trilogy lost to 3 Headed Monsters 51-46. James White led the team with 17 points, while Patrick O’Bryant added 10 points. For the 3 Headed Monsters, Reggie Evans exploded for 22 points and 23 rebounds, while Rashard Lewis chipped in 18 points and 11 rebounds. Arroyo spent three years in Salt Lake City in a Jazz uniform.

Trilogy will face the Triplets (1-0) in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday at 11 a.m. on CBS.

Al Jefferson, Triplets (1-0)

Jefferson was critical in the Triplets victory over the Aliens. He and Joe Johnson combined for 38 of their 50 points as Jefferson scored 11 points and even hit a three-pointer. Jefferson played for the Jazz from 2010-13.

The Triplets will face Trilogy (0-1) in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday at 11 a.m. on CBS.