Detroit Amps earn first BIG3 win with upset of unbeaten Triplets
· Yahoo Sports
Detroit — Nasir Core’s second-half surge scored the Detroit Amps their first win of the season, toppling the previously unbeaten Chicago Triplets, 52-49, on Thursday night at Little Caesars Arena.
The Ball Hogs were the other victors to kick off Week 6 of the BIG3 season, with their captain Jeremy Pargo hitting the game-winning 3-pointer to defeat the LA Riot, 50-48. In the BIG3, the first team to 50 wins.
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“This whole season we’ve been this close, and you know we finally got over that hump, so it’s no place better to do it than your home city, Detroit,” Core said. “We just try to end the season on a good note — we’re going to keep fighting every day, so that’s the Detroit energy.”
The Triplets' Montrezl Harrell and the Amps' Corey Brewer went layup for layup for the first baskets of the game and were neck-and-neck before the Triplets went on an 11-2 scoring run.
Not too long after, there were two fouls challenged for “Bring the Fire” matchups. First, Harrel vs. Brewer, with Harrell unable to make the shot. Core and the Ball Hogs’ Leandro Barbosa the went at it, with Core getting two points, with Barbosa fouling him again.
Immediately after, Core saw more action from the Triplets' Brandon Moss twice, first taking a charge, then drawing a foul. Donte Greene checked back into the game for the Amps and grabbed their first lead 22-21, but the Triplets closed out the half with a 25-22 lead.
“We done been here a lot of times, and we got to finish this one,” Core said about what was going through his head in the final moments. “I feel like you know we'd have been so close every game, and you know we'd let the rope go every time, so I just wanted to you know put my teammate on the back end and try to win the game.”
The Triplets came out of halftime with their foot on the gas, and Harrell added fuel to the fire with the first 4-pointer of the game. Core responded with a 4-pointer of his own.
After Harrell missed a basket in a “Bring of Fire” faceoff against Henry Sims, Core ended up in the same situation with the Triplets' Wesley Johnson, but instead he made his basket to make the foul stand.
The momentum was on his side, and he made the match a three-point game, then Amps Johnson tied it 43-43 with a three of his own. They tied again 49-49 and it was anyone’s game, but Core brought it home for the Amps with a game-winning 3-pointer, 52-49.
Core led the Amps with 24 points, six rebounds, and two assists. Coming off a record-breaking 42-point game, Harrell led the game with 34 points and 13 rebounds.
“... Next week you try to replicate this whole recipe to do it again next weekend,” Core said about his mindset going into the next game. “Stay confident, play fun, and compete.”
Game 1: LA Riot vs. Boston Ball Hogs
Ball Hogs co-captain Deshawn Stephens met co-captain Garlon Green for an alley-oop dunk to start the game.
It didn’t take long for the Riot to get their heads in the game and take a 21-18 lead, but the Ball Hogs still reached the 25-point mark first to go into halftime leading 26-23.
Detroit native and Riot co-captain Jordan Crawford might've started the second quarter with the first basket, but the Ball Hogs took over with a 15-0 scoring run before Riot guard Chris Allen knocked down a 3-pointer to disrupt it.
Crawford refused to give up, draining a 4-pointer, his first of the night, then made an and-one layup for a one-point game, 47-46, and a chance for anyone to win.
The Riot took the lead, 48-47, but Pargo was left wide open to knock down a 3-pointer and take the game for the Ball Hogs, 50-48.
Stephens finished with 22 points and eight rebounds, and Pargo added with 20 points, six rebounds, and a game-high four assists.
Crawford wasn’t too far behind, and led the Riot with 21 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Amps earn first BIG3 win with upset of unbeaten Triplets