BIG3 Week 8: A complicated playoff picture
It’s the final week of the BIG3 regular season, and we have three teams vying for three playoff spots. Power has the third best record in the league at 4-3 and has clinched at least the #4 seed, but both Ghost Ballers and 3’s Company are sitting at 3-4, and none of the three teams play each other this week. With a Power loss combined with both of the 3-4 teams winning, we’ll have three teams all with 4-4 records who can potentially finish the season with the #3 seed.
If this happens, the first tie-breaker is head-to-head, and all three teams are 1-1 against each other.
Ghost Ballers beat 3’s Company 50-45
Power beat Ghost Ballers 51-44
3’s Company beat Power 53-49
The next tie breaker would point differential those games, giving Power the #3 seed.
Power (+3)
3’s Company (-1)
Ghost Ballers (-2)
That leaves 3’s Company and the Ghost Ballers tied for the #4 seed, and since the Ghost Ballers beat 3’s Company, then they receive the #4 seed.
Now, if both 3’s Company and the Ghost Ballers lose and Tri-State wins, Tri-State ends up with the #4 seed as all three teams will have a 3-5 record and Tri-State has wins over both other teams.
So there’s a lot at stake on the final week of the regular season. Three teams have clinched a playoff spot, and three other teams still have a shot at making the postseason.
Tri-State (2-5) v. Power (4-3)
For Tri-State, even a win doesn’t get them into the playoffs, but it helps for sure. They’ll need a lot of help (they should offer some support to the Ball Hogs later in the day), but a loss will seal their fate.
For Power, I don’t see a bigger incentive than ‘win and you don’t play Trilogy in the first round.’ While a matchup against the 3-Headed Monsters isn’t easy by any means, at least they’ve been beaten.
Prediction: Power gets it done against a depleted Tri-State team. 50-42
Killer 3’s (2-5) v. Trilogy (7-0)
The best the Killer 3’s can do this season is finish with a 3-5 record with three other teams and lose out on a playoff spot to a tie break. While that might not be much to play for, they can play spoiler for a Trilogy looking to go undefeated. And this week, they’ll have the help of Charles Oakley, who will suit up for the first time all season, which means Chauncey Billups will coach from the sidelines.
Trilogy will look to close out the season undefeated against one of the most underperforming teams in the league. The Killer 3’s have been fun with StatJack and Oak going back and forth, but they haven’t been much more than that. Should be another easy win for the league’s best team.
Prediction: Trilogy goes undefeated and wins 51-43
3’s Company (3-4) v. Ball Hogs (1-6)
Of all the teams needing a win to get into the playoffs, 3’s Company looks like they have the easiest opponent. The Ball Hogs just don’t have it in them to compete with the rest of the league, and after a slow start, Allen Iverson’s team has itself in a great position to get toasted in the first round of the playoffs.
For the Ball Hogs, it was a long season where their biggest contribution was to give the league an even number of teams to display every week. I don’t know how the league will go about keeping teams intact for next season, but the Ball Hogs will be the league’s first rebuilding project. I believe they’re already on the clock.
Prediction. 3’s Company wins 50-38.
Ghost Ballers (3-4) v. 3-Headed Monsters (6-1)
This could be it for the Ghost Ballers. They’re matched up against a much better team, and both Power and 3’s Company are in favorable matchups. Upsets happen every day, but it’s highly unlikely in Week 8 of the Big 3. 3-Headed Monsters have #2 locked up and could be looking to rest their key guys, but that’s about all the Ghost Ballers can hope for at this point.
For the 3-Headed Monsters, Rashard Lewis is clinging onto his scoring lead and will need a big weekend to hold off Stephen Jackson, who is only a single point behind the man who's been leading in scoring since Week 4. MVP is still in play for Lewis, and a scoring title will definitely help make his case.
Prediction: 3-Headed Monsters win 50-46.
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