By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
A plethora of promising upstarts from Europe participated in the Castrol Rising Stars in Chase Center on Friday but all fell shy of evolving into Team Candace and making it to the NBA All-Star Game as the fourth team in a mini-tournament to wrap up the All-Star Weekend in San Francisco on Sunday.
Before teaming up as Team Rooks in the Kia Skills Challenge on Saturday, the top two picks of the most recent NBA draft, Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr were teammates in Team T and fell to later winner Team C, 40-34. The 19-year-old French forward of the Atlanta Hawks combined four points with two rebounds and the 19-year-old French forward of the Washington Wizards drew up three points plus one rebound and one assist. Among the German imports of the Orlando Magic, Tristan da Silva had five points, one assist, one rebound, and one steal.
A late introduction to the other Semifinal and among the participants in Saturday’s AT&T Slam Dunk, Lithuanian Matas Buzelis of the Chicago Bulls bowed out with four points, two rebounds, one assist, and one steal as Team M lost, 40-39, to Team G League. Representing the Portland Trail Blazers, Belgian Toumani Camara tallied eight points, two rebounds, and one block. From the Wizards, French Bilal Coulibaly went for four points, three rebounds, and one steal.
Before entering the dunking contest, Stephon Castle of the San Antonio Spurs was named Most Valuable Player of the Rising Stars after his 12 points in a 25-14 victory for Team C over G League in the championship fixture. Along with Dalton Knecht, Keyonte George, Ryan Dunn, Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells, and Trayce Jackson-Davis, he will play in the 74th annual All-Star Game.
Opening the All-Star Weekend schedule in Oakland Arena, actor Rome Flynn was named MVP of the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game after scoring 22 points and leading Team Bonds to a win, 66-55, over Team Rice.