Las Vegas, NV (August 10, 2023) – SlamBall, the fast-paced, gravity-defying sport that combines elements of basketball, football, hockey and trampolines, enters the home stretch with only one of the six playoff spots definite. The Mob, secured as the No. 1 seed, puts its 12-0 mark on the line in Game 1 tonight, beginning at 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT on ESPN2.
The remaining seven teams are bunched within two losses of each other as they all remain in the playoff hunt. The Buzzsaw and Wrath have also clinched playoff spots.
As Week Four tips, 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 has the call), and SlamBall Co-Founder Mason Gordon will make his season commentary debut on Sunday
- Thursday, August 10, beginning 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT, ESPN2
- Mob (12-0) vs. Lava (2-5)
- Gryphons (2-6) vs. Ozone (2-6)
- Winners/Main Event
- Friday, August 11, beginning 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT, ESPN+
- Slashers (5-5) vs. Wrath (5-4)
- Rumble (1-6) vs. Buzzsaw (7-4)
- Winners/Main Event
- Saturday, August 12, beginning 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT, ESPN+
- Wrath vs. Gryphons
- Mob vs. Rumble
- Winners/Main Event
- Sunday, August 13, beginning 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT, ESPN+
- Buzzsaw vs. Ozone
- Lava vs. Slashers
- Winners/Main Event
- Thursday, August 10, beginning 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT, ESPN2
- The Mob pushed its unbeaten string to 12, with four more easy wins last week, topping the Slashers and Buzzsaw in the Main Events. 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.
- The postseason format, times and television coverage are set:
- Tuesday, August 15, 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT, ESPN2, Quarterfinals: #3 Seed vs. #6 Seed, #4 vs. #5 Seed.
- Thursday, August 17, 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT, ESPN, Semifinals: #1 seed (Mob) vs. winner of #4 vs. #5 quarterfinal, followed by No. 2 seed vs winner of #3 vs. #6 seed quarterfinal; followed by SlamBall Championship Game.
- One team will celebrate by hoisting the coveted Gordon/Tollin Trophy, named in honor of SlamBall’s co-founders Mason Gordon and Mike Tollin.
- To thank the Las Vegas community for the resounding success of SlamBall’s return season this summer, the league is offering $15 general admission tickets to both playoff sessions via www.unlvtickets.com.
- For tonight’s first two games, Circa Sports has made the Mob an 18.5-point favorite over the Lava, while the Ozone are laying 2.5 points against the Gryphons. In the eight previous games that Circa listed odds, favorites went 7-1 straight up and 6-2 against the spread.
- Awards will be presented next week, highlighting the top players and action: Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, First Team and Second Team All-SlamBall, Dunk of the Year, Stop of the Year, and Hit of the Year.
- On the TV front, SlamBall’s success in the U.S. has spawned international distribution for the remainder of the season. SlamBall is now being distributed via ESPN in Latin America (on DTC on Star+); in the Caribbean (via ESPN & the affiliate-authenticated ESPN App), and in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands (via ESPN & the affiliate-authenticated Watch ESPN). Additionally, SlamBall China has officially launched its broadcast on Douyin, and has already seen several million views in the first few days.
- First overall pick Bryce Moragne (Tampa), who played eight minutes on Sunday in his return from a sprained ankle, has been a huge factor in the Lava’s chances of making the playoffs. Moragne had 26- and 28-point efforts in the Lava’s first two games before suffering the injury on July 27 against the Gryphons and missing the next two sessions. The Lava began the season 0-5 but won both games on Sunday, including a 40-point drubbing of the Ozone in the Main Event, to get back into contention.
- The Lava and Mob, who meet in tonight’s first game, are one-two in the league in attacking the rim. The Lava have a league-leading RA% of 65.0, while the Mob rank second at 60.4. Lava and Mob players make up six of the seven players with the highest RA%. The Lava’s Jihad Shockley (Columbus, Ohio) (73.3) and Moragne (73.) rank 1-2, while Josh Shannon (Louisville, Ky.) (62.7) is sixth. Mob players Gage Smith (Elizabeth, Colo.) (66.0), Cam Hollins (Avon, Ind.) (65.1) and Cameron Horton (Jacksonville, Ala.) (62.7) are fourth, fifth and seventh, respectively.
- A snapshot of league leaders (see sortable stats at https://app.scorebreak.io/federation/136/main):
- Points per game: Ty McGee, Wrath, 25.9, Kaylon Tippins-Hill, Rumble, 19.7, Tony Crosby II, Slashers, 18.8
- Assists per game: Cameron Horton, Mob, 4.0, Paxton Henry, Lava, 3.0, Richard Washington, Rumble, 2.9
- Loose Ball Recoveries per game: Gage Smith, Mob, 9.0, Tyquan Scott, Buzzsaw. 8.4, JaeTuan Williams, Rumble, 6.7
- Stops per game: Faysal Shafaat, Lava, 9.6, Smith 9.0, Scott 8.4
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/.