The 3-on-3 half-court basketball league returns to Toyota Center on Friday night. Big3/Facebook
The BIG3 is coming to Houston and will feature some of the most competitive summer basketball in the world. Commissioner Clyde Drexler appeared on The Blitz to talk about his involvement with The Big3 and how the competition has significantly heated up in just its second year. The BIG3 was founded by actor and musician Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz. “Those guys are incredibly addicted to the sport of basketball,” Drexler says of Ice Cube and Kwatinetz.
Ex-NBA players such as Al Harrington and Amar’e Stoudemire will play half-court, 3-on-3 basketball. The eight teams will be coached by Hall of Fame coaches like Nancy Lieberman and Gary Payton. “We’ve got more Hall of Fame coaches than any other professional league in the world,” Drexler notes. “It’s a groundbreaking league,” he says. “We’re breaking barriers.” In its second season, the league will have plenty of new names to fill their rosters. “The BIG3 is here to stay.” The BIG3 not only makes stops around the country to put on a unique and entertaining show for basketball fans, but also gives back to the communities that they travel to.
Its Young3 program allows young basketball fans to play in tournaments while also making a difference in the communities that host the league. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to see what Drexler describes as “the best basketball being played around the world.” Week 1 will take over the Toyota Center on Friday, June 22. Game 1 begins at 6:30. Games will also be broadcast on Fox or FS1 each Friday night.
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Zack Short hit a walk-off RBI single in the 11th inning after Christian Walker tied it with a sacrifice fly and the Houston Astros beat the Texas Rangers 5-4 on Saturday night.
Short hit a 1-1 pitch to right field off Hoby Milner after Robert Garcia (1-5) walked two to load the bases.
Texas took a 4-3 lead when Adolis García hit the first pitch from Bennett Sousa (3-0) for a single — scoring automatic runner Marcus Semien.
Kyle Higashioka hit a solo home run off Josh Hader with two outs in the ninth to tie it 3-3. It was the first blown save for Hader after 25 straight to begin the season.
Jose Altuve hit his 17th homer — a two-out solo shot in the first off Jacob deGrom to tie it 1-1 after the Rangers scored an unearned run on Framber Valdez’s wild pitch.
Yainer Diaz homered for the 14th time for a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Mauricio Dubón hit his sixth homer off Jacob Webb for a 3-1 lead in the seventh.
Semien hit his 11th homer to cut it to 3-2 in the eighth.
Valdez allowed an unearned run on four hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks in six innings. The Astros have won his last 12 starts with him getting the win in nine of them.
DeGrom allowed two runs on four hits and a walk in six innings with eight strikeouts.
The Rangers struck out 19 times — two short of the club record for an extra-inning game.
Key moment
Short entered as a pinch runner in the ninth and was just 4 for 17 before his game winner.
Key stat
Houston hasn’t lost a season series with division rival Texas since 2016.
Up next
Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi (6-3, 1.62 ERA) starts Sunday’s rubber game opposite Astros RHP Hunter Brown (9-3, 2.21).
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