Malik Abdul-Haqq-SlamBall
League News // Media Release

10 Things to Know about SlamBall Week 3

Jerry Milani · August 3, 2023

Las Vegas, NV (August 3, 2023) – SlamBall, the fast-paced, gravity-defying sport that combines elements of basketball, football, hockey and trampolines, enters Week 3 with intriguing, competitive matchups dotting the schedule of four straight days, beginning tonight at 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT on ESPN2. And it’s a huge matchup to start things off, as the Mob, which remained unbeaten with another series of beat-downs last weekend, get a big prove-it test vs. the Buzzsaw, nipping at their heels just a couple of paces behind.

As Week Three gets underway with a little extra ESPN2 hype, here are 10 Things to Know with 12 games on tap through Sunday.

  • This weekend’s schedule is set with the following contests and TV schedule (John Schriffen, Stormy Buonantony and a rotation of SlamBall coaches on the call):
    • Thursday, August 3, beginning 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT, ESPN2
      • Mob (8-0) vs. Buzzsaw (6-2)
      • Slashers (4-3) vs. Ozone (1-4)
      • Winners/Main Event
    • Friday, August 4, beginning 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT, ESPN+
      • Gryphons (1-4) vs. Rumble (1-4)
      • Lava (0-4) vs. Wrath (3-3)
      • Winners/Main Event
    • Saturday, August 5, beginning 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT, ESPN+
      • Buzzsaw vs. Slashers
      • Mob vs. Gryphons
      • Winners/Main Event
    • Sunday, August 6, beginning 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
      • Wrath vs. Ozone
      • Rumble vs. Lava
      • Winners/Main Event
  • The Mob sits atop the standings at an unblemished 8-0, socking their opponents by an average of 27.4 points per game, including four straight double-digit drubbings last weekend. The Buzzsaw (6-2) are just ahead of the Slashers (4-3) and Wrath (3-3) in the top four spots.
  • Today Circa Sports was named a Founding Partner of SlamBall League, by which Circa Sports will provide legal gambling lines for all remaining games. They’ve installed the Mob as 12 ½ point favorites against the Buzzsaw and Slashers -7 ½ vs. the Ozone. See all the lines here: https://twitter.com/CircaSports/status/1687154944481296384.
  • So what is a “good” score over the 20-minute SlamBall contest? SlamBall contests are averaging 96.3 total points. Main Event scoring (the third game each night) is much lower, going in at just 86.9 total points for those eight games. Last weekend brought both the highest-scoring game of the season – 131 points in Rumble’s 66-65 win over the Ozone on Sunday – and the lowest – 61 points for the Buzzsaw’s 32-29 victory over the Lava on Saturday. Nine of the 24 games this year have reached the century mark. Three teams’ games are averaging 100 or more points: Rumble (114.0), Slashers (108.9) and Ozone (105.4). Contests involving the Buzzsaw have produced the fewest total points per game (80.8).
  • Though the Mob is dominant, extending to mostly big wins, the rest of the league is playing much more competitive games. The average margin of victory this season is 15.9 PPG. But contests not involving the Mob (plus-27.4 PPG differential) have a 10.2 PPG margin of victory. In the first week of the season, there were just three games decided by fewer than 10 points. That number doubled to six in Week 2, including the year’s first one-point game.
  • Tonight’s meeting between the Mob and Slashers, the two top teams in SlamBall so far, will be the first, and will mean that one won’t advance to the Main Event for the first time. With a win and then a Main Event triumph, the Slashers could pull to within ½ game of the Mob in the standings.
  • All the talk has been about the unstoppable Mob, but the Buzzsaw come in hot too, winning their second Main Event of the season on Saturday night. They are second in the league in PPG allowed (38.4) but rank seventh in scoring with an output of 42.4 PPG. In their six wins, the Buzzsaw have held the opposition to 41 or fewer points; they permitted 50 or more in their two setbacks. The Mob have permitted 36 or fewer points in all but one game and scored 60 or more in five of their eight outings.
  • Thursday’s Slashers vs. Ozone clash has some underrated great vibes going for it too. It’s another first-time matchup and a chance for the Ozone to get back on track after three straight defeats. Two of the hottest players in the league – Tony Crosby II (Long Beach, Calif.) of the Slashers and Keith McGee (Rochester, N.Y.) of the Ozone – will be in the spotlight.
  • They’re not related, but they share the kinship of prolific scoring and huge dunks. Keith McGee exploded for 38 points in the loss to the Rumble on Sunday. That was just five points shy of the single-game SlamBall record of 41 points set by Ty McGee (Littleton, Colo.) of the Wrath earlier this season. Keith McGee is fifth in the league in PPG (18.2 PPG), tied for fifth in dunks per game (5.0) and sixth in FG% (63.2, 31-49).
  • Friday’s 1 p.m. PT matinee is the earliest start time for a Slamball session this season, following the first of three 8 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. ET tilts on Thursday. Next Thursday, August 10 (ESPN+), and the finals on Thursday, August 17 (ESPN) will also feature 8 p.m. PT tip offs.
  • A snapshot of league leaders (see sortable stats at https://app.scorebreak.io/federation/136/main):
    • Points per game: T. McGee 22.8, Kaylon Tippins-Hill, Wrath, 18.8, Darius Clark, Mob 18.4
    • Assists: Cameron Horton, Mob, 34, Brandon Simpson, Mob, 18, Justin Holloway, Mob 18
    • Loose Ball Recoveries per game: Gage Smith, Mob, 8.5, Tyquan Scott, Buzzsaw. 7.4, JaeTuan Williams, Rumble, 6.6
    • Stops per game: Faysal Shafaat, Lava, 9.0, Smith 8.8, Scott 8.6

About SlamBall:

SlamBall is a one-of-a-kind sports and entertainment property with a rich history of success in the United States and in markets around the world. After being dormant in the United States for 15 years, SlamBall returns for its sixth season this summer in Las Vegas. SlamBall is an exhilarating and action-packed sport that seamlessly merges basketball, football, hockey, and acrobatics into one thrilling experience, highlighted by gravity-defying trampoline-assisted dunks and dynamic, video-game-like plays. From its earlier iterations, SlamBall already has an enormous global audience across all major digital platforms. It has a large and passionate fanbase that is clamoring for the sport’s comeback. The hashtag #BringBackSlamBall has garnered more than 500 million views on social media. For additional information, visit https://slamballleague.com/.