Trae Young, Hawks Beat Mavs as Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis Sit with Injuries
Feb 22, 2020
ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 22: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks handles the ball against the Dallas Mavericks on February 22, 2020 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
Luka Doncic and Trae Young will forever be connected after they were traded for each other on draft day in 2018, and the latter helped prevent a season sweep Saturday with the former sidelined.
Young's Atlanta Hawks defeated Doncic's Dallas Mavericks111-107 at State Farm Arena, evening the two-game season series as Atlanta improved to 17-41 following a second straight win.
Young gave his team the lead with a deep three-pointer in the final two minutes and then broke a tie with a shot in the lane in the final minute to take the lead for good.
As for the Mavericks, they can take solace in knowing they are the one eventually headed to the playoffs this year at 34-23 even though their two-game winning streak ended with Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis sidelined.
Player Stats
ATL G Trae Young: 25 points, 10 assists and six rebounds
ATL F John Collins: 35 points, 17 rebounds and two blocks
ATL G Cam Reddish: 20 points, six rebounds and three steals
DAL G Tim Hardaway Jr.: 33 points, five assists and four rebounds
DAL G Seth Curry: 22 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals
Hawks' Advantage in Star Power Makes the Difference
The primary storyline entering play was how the Mavericks would perform without Doncic and Porzingis after they defeated the Orlando Magic on Friday.
TheAssociated Press noted Doncic was resting his previously sprained right ankle on the second night of a back-to-back, while Porzingis was doing the same with his surgically repaired left knee.
The rotation was further depleted because Willie Cauley-Stein was out for personal reasons, and Jalen Brunson was ruledoutwith a right shoulder sprain in the first half.
Dallas didn't need the Doncic and Porzingis pairing during a 23-point win over the Hawks on Feb. 1 and appeared to be well on the way to a similar result on the road Saturday. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Seth Curry combined for 34 points and five made three-pointers in the first half alone, and the Mavericks cruised into the final 10 minutes with a double-digit advantage.
While Collins did much of the offensive work against a short-handed Dallas frontcourt in the early portion of the game, Young scored or assisted on 19 of the Hawks' final 27 points. He drilled a game-tying three with three minutes left before he hit the go-ahead bucket down the stretch and consistently blew past the Mavericks' perimeter defenders.
Stars take over in crunch time, and the visitors didn't have any of their own in Saturday's rotation to counter No. 11.
The Hawks turned to their promising young playmaker on possession after possession, and he stole a victory from a Western Conference playoff contender in dramatic fashion.
Doncic's absence took away from the individual battle, but Young had no problem creating his story with the game on the line.
What's Next?
Both teams are in action Monday when the Mavericks host the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Hawks are at the Philadelphia 76ers.
Hawks' Trae Young Says He'll Score 50 Again After Giving Quavo His Jersey
Feb 21, 2020
ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 2020: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks high fives the fans after the game against the Miami Heat on February 20, 2020 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young had no qualms about giving away his jersey to Quavo after dropping a career-high 50 points in Thursday's 129-124 victory over the Miami Heat.
Speaking to The Athletic's Chris Kirschner about his big offensive showing, Young offered a simple reason for why he decided not to keep the jersey.
"That won't be the last time I score 50," he said.
Coming off his first All-Star Game appearance, Thursday's win was a perfect encapsulation of everything that makes Young an offensive force. The 21-year-old hit the 50-point barrier by going 18-of-19 from the free-throw line and 8-of-15 from three-point range, including one from 36 feet midway through the fourth quarter.
It's hard to imagine Young won't have many more games with at least 50 points in his future. He's had a 49-point output against the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 29 and has three other games with at least 45 points this season.
This has been a disappointing season overall for the Hawks, whose 16-41 record is the second-worst in the Eastern Conference. Young's ascent to superstardom has given the organization a franchise player who can score seemingly at will to build around for years to come.
Trae Young Claps Back at Jimmy Butler on Twitter After Scoring 50 vs. Heat
Feb 21, 2020
ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 20: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts alongside Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat during the second half of an NBA game at State Farm Arena on February 20, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Trae Young apparently is not one to let things go.
The Atlanta Hawks star had 50 points as his team beat the Miami Heat 129-124 on Thursday night. After the game, Young directed a pointed tweet at Heat star Jimmy Butler:
The second-year guard was referencing an Instagram post by Butler back in December. Young prematurely celebrated as the Hawks looked set to take Miami down only for the Heat came back and win. Butler rubbed some salt in the wound with his trash talk.
Young didn't forget.
Trae really kept the receipts from the Heat’s OT comeback win in December against the Hawks 😅 pic.twitter.com/MfC2D7aO83
Should he want to make a rebuttal, Butler's strategy is pretty straightforward: Miami is 20 games ahead of Atlanta in the Eastern Conference.
Trae Young Drops Career-High 50 Points as Hawks Stun Jimmy Butler, Heat
Feb 20, 2020
ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 2020: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks looks to pass the ball against the Miami Heat on February 20, 2020 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
The All-Star break didn't slow down Trae Young as he scored 50 points Thursday in an upset win over the Miami Heat.
The guard needed only 25 field-goal attempts to reach the 50-point mark for the first time in his career. He was 8-of-15 from three-point range and 18-of-19 from the free-throw line in what became a 129-124 win over the Heat.
Jimmy Butler had 17 points, nine assists and eight rebounds but was held to 6-of-18 from the field.
Young was especially impressive in the fourth quarter, scoring 17 of his team's 39 points to lead the Hawks back from a seven-point deficit entering the final 12 minutes.
It was enough to gain the respect of Atlanta native Quavo, who was sitting courtside:
The performance was also a continuation of an incredible second season from Young, who entered the day averaging 29.7 points per game to help earn his first All-Star selection.
His big games have put him on par with some of the best scorers in NBA history:
Trae Young has now scored at least 45 points six times in his career. Only LeBron has more such games at 21 or younger.
Here’s the NBA all-time leaderboard for most ganes w/ 45+ points before turning 22 years old:
The 21-year-old has scored at least 40 points in six games since the start of January.
His level of play has made Atlanta a dangerous team for the rest of the season despite its 16-41 record. The guard was one of six players to reach double figures Thursday, including 17 points apiece from De'Andre Hunter and Kevin Huerter.
The defense has also improved, holding the Heat to 11-of-37 from three-point range in the win at State Farm Arena.
Young is clearly becoming a superstar, and this team will be one to watch going forward.
Even in today's three-point-bombing, rim-rocking NBA , elite defense still gets played on a nightly basis...
Video: Trae Young Drains Half-Court Shot for Team Giannis in NBA All-Star Game
Feb 16, 2020
CHICAGO, IL - FEBRUARY 16: Trae Young #24 of Team Giannis hits the half court shot during the 69th NBA All-Star Game on February 16, 2020 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
Trae Young did not win the Three-Point Contest, but the Atlanta Hawks point guard made up for it in the All-Star Game on Sunday night at the United Center in Chicago.
Young swished a 40-foot half-court shot at the halftime buzzer that sparked Team Giannis to flood the floor from the bench:
The bucket gave Team Giannis a 92-83 lead over Team LeBron at the break. Young had eight points and seven assists through two quarters, which don't account for this mean nutmeg on James Harden:
Young still has a chance at claiming the inaugural Kobe Bryant MVP Award, but it won't come easy.
Team Giannis has been led by its namesake, reigning league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, with 20 points. Team LeBron's Kawhi Leonard, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, led all scorers at halftime with 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting (7-of-10 from three).
Hawks' Trae Young Opens Up on NBA 3-Point Contest Loss and Pregame Ritual
Feb 16, 2020
Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young practices for basketball's NBA All-Star Game on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)
Trae Young's first foray into the Three-Point Contest didn't go as planned Saturday at the United Center in Chicago. He scored just 15 points, finishing in last place in the competition that Buddy Hield ultimately won.
The Atlanta Hawks guard spoke about his shot going awry Saturday night, perhaps hinting that the rigors of his first All-Star appearance were catching up to him.
"The thing about shooting, and shooting that many times, is you've got to have legs. ... It's been a long day, long weekend so far, and that's what it was," Young said, per Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I just didn't have any legs."
"When you go first, you don't necessarily know how it's going to go—you don't know the rhythm, the flow of everything," he added.
Young participated in Friday's Rising Stars Challenge, finishing with 18 points and seven assists in 19 minutes for Team USA. He's also been through a near-constant media ringer associated with the Rising Stars, Three-Point and All-Star events he's participating in this year.
With his first All-Star start on the horizon, Young said he has a plan to get his shot back into rhythm.
"Always gotta have my chicken strips. Gotta get my ankles taped, right to left," he told Spencer.
After putting up 29.7 points and 9.2 assists per game while knocking down 3.5 threes per outing during the first half of the season, the odds are Young's chicken strip-covered fingers will find their stroke in the national spotlight.
Buddy Hield Wins 2020 NBA 3-Point Contest: Scores, Highlights and Reaction
Feb 15, 2020
CHICAGO, IL - FEBRUARY 15: Buddy Hield #24 of the Sacramento Kings shoots three point basket during the 2020 NBA All-Star - MTN DEW 3-Point Contest on February 15, 2020 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
Buddy Hield edged out Devin Booker and Davis Bertans in the NBA Three-Point Contest on Saturday in Chicago, hitting his last money ball to move ahead of Booker.
Bertans went first and collected 22 points, which left the door wide-open for Booker or Hield to take the title. Booker followed with 26 points to put the pressure on Hield.
This year's event saw the introduction of the MTN DEW Zone, two areas to the left and right of the center rack six feet behind the three-point line. Each spot was worth three points, allowing the participants to gain a maximum score of 40 points.
Many wondered whether Trae Young would be the biggest beneficiary since the Atlanta Hawks star has a habit of pulling up from well beyond the arc. Young missed both of his 29-footers, and his first-round score of 15 wasn't enough to move on.
Trae being the first eliminated from the 3pt contest is the definition of Atlanta sports 😂
Booker was a late addition to the event. Damian Lillard suffered a right groin strain, which forced him to bow out of All-Star Weekend. That opened the door for Booker, the 2018 champion.
Many considered the 23-year-old to be one of the biggest All-Star snubs, so he was likely carrying a chip on his shoulder Saturday night. His opening round seemingly removed any doubt, as he put 27 points on the board and hit both of his 29-footers.
The first round had the feel of a final round based on how high the bar to advance became. Hield matched Booker's total, and Bertans followed with 26 points.
Joe Harris, the 2019 champion, was involved as well to defend his three-point crown. The Brooklyn Nets guard fell short with 22 points.
Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine was unable to get it done in his home arena. His 23 points might have secured him passage to the final in a previous edition of the Three-Point Contest.
Trae Young Has Always Been One of the All-Stars
Feb 15, 2020
CHICAGO, IL - FEBRUARY 14: Trae Young #11 of Team USA smiles during the game against Team World during the 2020 NBA All-Star Rising Stars Game on February 14, 2020 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Chauncey Billups can still picture Rayford Young bobbing in Texas Tech's January 1997 layup line. Billups had watched the film. The tape didn't lie.
Rayford entered that inaugural Big 12 season projected as the conference's best freshman, and Billups realized, "Damn, this kid can hoop." As he jogged toward half court in Lubbock, rounding his turn in Colorado's layup line, there was Rayford, eyes locked onto the sophomore.
"This dude just keeps staring at me. Kind of mean-mugging me. I was just like, 'Yo, what is wrong with this dude?'" Billups recalls now. "Without even talking, he was kind of egging me on, like he wanted to get a piece of me."
Only months separated Billups from hearing his name called third in that June's NBA draft. Rayford knew quite well the bear he was poking. He began the game on the bench, keeping his glare focused on the Buffs' star.
Rayford finally rose to enter as Billups was due for his usual first rest, yet he begged Colorado head coach Ricardo Patton to let him stay on the floor. Incredulous, Patton initially refused. How could his steady floor general rebuff the game plan during a road conference game?
"I said, 'Coach, just please do me that favor.'" Billups says. "Because I really wanted to show this dude, 'Why are you looking at me like this, man? I'm the best guard in the league, dawg.'"
Billups proved his point, powering Colorado to an 80-78 victory. But Rayford showed his, too. "He was a little guy who played big," says Tony Battie, a junior on that Texas Tech team. "He never was afraid of the moment." The 5'11" dynamo attacked the paint with abandon and drove right into the opposing trees lurking in the paint.
Two decades later, Rayford's eldest, Trae Young, has brought that same snarl to the NBA, unleashing sidestep three-pointers from half-court logos and whipping no-look assists out of endless pick-and-rolls for the Atlanta Hawks.
With just 131 professional games under his belt, Trae already stands third in the league in scoring (29.7 PPG) and second in assists (9.2 APG) in 2019-20 en route to earning his first All-Star selection. Trae's numbers are so lethal and his game so absorbing that he paced all Eastern Conference guards in fan voting, earning a coveted spot in the game's starting lineup.
He'll enter a locker room in Chicago flooded with his elite peers on the court, yet even before this, Trae has always found himself amongst the NBA's All-Stars. "He's like a little brother," says Chris Paul.
When the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina forced the New Orleans Hornets temporarily to Oklahoma City, Rayford, having settled in nearby Norman, relished the opportunity for his seven-year-old son. That November, as Battie's visiting Orlando Magic took the Ford Center floor, one voice emanated above the rest of the sellout crowd.
"I hear somebody calling my name, and I look up and it's Rayford," Battie says. The former Red Raiders embraced, and Battie set aside family passes for Rayford and young Trae to come visit the postgame locker room. With each opponent arriving in Oklahoma, Rayford flipped through his Rolodex of former teammates and foes, like Billups and Tyronn Lue, seeking an introduction for his little hoop head.
Paul starred as those Hornets' babyfaced Rookie of the Year. Following most home battles, after sparring with his own heroes on the same floor for the first time, Paul always carved moments out of his postgame routine for Rayford's boy, eagerly loitering outside the locker room.
"I just remember going down to the tunnel waiting to meet," Trae now says, a reminiscent smile evident in his voice over the phone. "He was always just trying to give me advice." Trae met Steve Nash and Jason Kidd, always peppering each floor general with questions before later watching their film at home.
When Battie's Magic returned the following season, they managed to enlist Trae as an Orlando ball boy for the evening. He was assuredly Rayford's, shockingly comfortable with the leather between his palms, alleviating any concern about tossing a pass to a child. "He had a knack for the ball. He passed really well for being a small kid. His timing was right," Battie says.
Trae's advanced abilities popped on the preteen AAU circuit. "You'd just keep hearing about him and hearing about him," Billups says.
The Hornets returned to New Orleans full-time in 2007, but the successful stint sparked the first of polarizing flames that permitted Clay Bennett's ownership group to move the Seattle SuperSonics to Oklahoma City for the 2008-09 season, rebranding as the Thunder. "I was one of the first people in line to get two tickets," Rayford says. He still holds seats 3 and 4, Row R in Section 119 of the-now Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Burgeoning MVPs Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook soon replaced Paul as OKC's marquee act, and so too as Trae's confidants. Former Thunder director of player personnel David Vanterpool played with Rayford on the ABA's Kansas City Knights in 2001 and quickly joined his former backcourt mate's roster of postgame credential plugs.
Trae first noticed Westbrook's fashionable flare, mouth agape at a flashy pair of Christian Louboutin shoes. "He told me one day I'll be able to get some," Trae laughs.
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 8: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Houston Rockets and Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks tall after the game on January 8, 2020 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by dow
Over time though, the youngster noticed Westbrook's parents were always there. His wife was always there. "That's something that I took away from him," Trae says. "To always keep that circle small and remain true to your family and who came up with you."
With Vanterpool's help, they wound through the stadium's bowels one evening, until Trae walked directly up to Durant. Vanterpool and Rayford shuffled to the side while Durant and Trae shared the first of many conversations.
"The growth of that relationship happened really organically," Vanterpool says. Durant's manager, Randy Williams, a Texas product himself, knew of Rayford's local high school and college lore. They reconnected, as Rayford did countless times, at a Thunder game. Then Nike flew Trae to the Bahamas for a showcase, and Williams learned Rayford's boy was more than a meet-and-greet.
"You're like," he says, voice rising, "'Who is this kid?'" Soon after, Durant's Nike brand sponsored Trae and running mate Michael Porter Jr.'s superb Mokan Elite AAU team, gifting the teens KD backpacks and kicks.
Rayford wound up dropping teenage Trae off at Durant's brownstone to watch Duke and Kentucky clash in the 2015 Champions Classic. Instead of meeting friends for TNT Thursdays, Trae returned to Durant's on several occasions just to watch their beloved game on a big screen. They weren't teaching moments, but rather private gatherings as equals.
"It was just chilling. We'd just watch basketball," Williams says. "It wasn't like a big thing to us. I think it just depends on the person you are. Trae's not really no awestruck dude like that."
"That's Kevin Durant," Trae says, appreciation still present in his voice. "I'm a 16-year-old kid, just chilling at Kevin Durant's house. It's crazy, but whenever you see those types of guys off the court, you realize how much they're like everybody else."
His dream and reality became increasingly intertwined. "You see something that is a possibility," Vanterpool says. "'He likes the same video games I like. I'm playing this with him. Well, shit, why can't I do what he does?'"
ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 3: Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors shakes hands with Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks on December 3, 2018 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downl
Trae's strides were landing lockstep in his idols' footprints. While grappling with his college decision, he pulled the fabled Point God to the side during a session at Paul's summer camp, asking about Paul's choice to play at Wake Forest in his native North Carolina.
Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger promised Rayford the Sooners would deploy his son in the way the Golden State Warriors unleashed Stephen Curry, unlike the secondary roles Duke, Kentucky and Kansas offered.
Williams knew Trae would dominate Oklahoma's tune-up games, positioning his draft stock to explode during Nike's preseason tournament, the PK80, honoring co-founder Phil Knight's 80th birthday. Sure enough, Trae hung 43 points on Oregon during the event, lifting him into conversation for the 2018 NBA draft's No. 1 pick.
Trae blitzed the rest of Oklahoma's nonconference slate. He opened Big 12 play by hanging 39 points and 14 assists on TCU, harkening back to that summer's training sessions with Billups. Trae stopped in Denver for a few days before joining USA Basketball in Colorado Springs, drilling pick-and-rolls with his dad's former rival by day and gobbling barbecue at a family gathering in Billups' backyard at night.
Acknowledging Trae's size and stature, they focused on his finishing ability at the rim. "Nobody can keep you out of the paint, but what are you gonna do when you get there?" Billups quizzed his pupil. The former knew he struggled converting through contact and practiced drawing fouls on the occasions he did knife all the way to the bucket. At the line, after all, Billups converted 89.4 percent of his free throws throughout his 17-year career.
Trae has mastered an impressive array of floaters that arc over opposing giants' reach, yet he regressed to the mean during the closing stretch of his lone collegiate campaign. He shot just 2-of-14 from deep at Texas, then 1-of-8 at Iowa State and 0-of-9 three days later at Texas Tech. He failed to record double-digit assists in any of his last eight games despite reaching that threshold in 11 of his first 24 contests. Opponents double-teamed the phenom at half court. Scouts began wondering if his size would prohibit true success at the next level.
Only doubt never followed his frustration. Trae remembered what Paul and then-Rockets assistant coach Irv Roland told him that December when Houston visited OKC and Rayford once again secured postgame access.
"I used to tell Trae, even when he struggled in college, that the NBA would be easier than college was," Paul says. The pro game, predicated on tempo and triples, would afford Trae ample real estate to dance, Paul promised. "The game's just more wide open, and you're able to see what he can do with better teammates and better floor spacing," Roland says.
That expanse of hardwood, however, has left all 180 pounds of Trae susceptible on the opposite side of the court. "The biggest thing I used to talk to him about was defense," Paul says.
Atlanta overall ranks 28th overall in team defense, a natural side effect of a roster boasting just six players with more than three years of service. As a result, the Hawks sit in the Eastern Conference basement, and Trae has felt the stress of shouldering a sputtering attempt to contend for the postseason.
"What people don't understand is that's really important to him," Billups says. "This is a kid that really, really wants to win." And so he phones his All-Star mentors, seeking guidance on how to eke out more victories.
"When the leader hangs his head, you give everyone else a pass to do it," Billups advises him. He lists anecdotal lessons from guiding the Detroit Pistons to back-to-back Finals appearances. Billups would consciously table-set for his teammates in the opening quarter, confident he would get his during the second frame. Each marksman has a different shooting pocket, and it's wise to learn their preferences.
"These are high-level conversations," Billups says. "He's not a sponge. I call guys like him a filter. Because a sponge, they take in everything. A filter takes in everything and knows what to kind of feed out."
Dad has documented it all. There are photos of little Trae with the myriad All-Stars recounted above, and newer-age superstars like Blake Griffin and Kyrie Irving.
"I remember taking that picture with Trae in Oklahoma City. It's pretty amazing to see what he's been able to do in his first two years," Irving says. "I don't know if that's a sign that I'm getting older."
Either way, it certainly renders Rayford's long scheme successful.
Five-time NBA Champion with Los Angeles Lakers and head coach of the LA Sparks, Derek Fisher, joins "The Full 48 with Howard Beck" to pay tribute to his Lakers brother, Kobe Bryant, and share thoughts on their special bond and friendship, Kobe's leadership style, his post-NBA career, and what the media got wrong about the basketball legend during his life.
Miles Bridges Wins MVP, Leads USA Past World in 2020 Rising Stars Challenge
Feb 14, 2020
CHICAGO, IL - FEBRUARY 14: Miles Bridges #0 of Team USA dunks the ball against Team World during the 2020 NBA All-Star Rising Stars Game on February 14, 2020 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges took home the MVP award en route to leading Team USA past Team World 151-131 in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday at Chicago's United Center.
Bridges had 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, five assists, five rebounds, three steals and some highlight-reel dunks in Team USA's 20-point win. He helped his side outscore its opponents 44-24 in the third quarter and 80-50 in the second half overall after trailing 81-71 at halftime.
Bridges put on a show in the second half, perhaps never more than on this pass off the backboard to himself a la ex-Orlando Magic forward Tracy McGrady:
The Athletic posted video of Bridges explaining the tweet postgame:
Miles Bridges talks about his halftime tweet tonight but he doesn't think players should be allowed to tweet during halftime... pic.twitter.com/edNx90wyVD
Team USA outscored Team World by 30 after halftime.
A bet on Bridges would have been quite lucrative. PerB/R Betting, Bridges was listed at 33-1 at Caesars Palace to win the game's MVP award.
Otherwise, the game proved to be wildly entertaining with great moments featuring New Orleans Pelicans big man Zion Williamson, Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant and Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic.
Williamson literally tilted the backboard on a second-quarter dunk:
Williamson put on a 360-degree windmill show at the end of the game, which developed into an unofficial dunk contest. None of the shots went in, but the attempts still got the crowd buzzing regardless:
It was an off-night for Doncic and the World team for the most part, but the Mavs superstar still provided a moment to remember by casually pulling up behind half-court and nailing a bank shot before halftime:
New York Knicks wing RJ Barrett led the World team with 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting. It was a great effort overall and a solid bounce-back performance after Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young hit him with the nutmeg in the early going:
