San Antonio Spurs rookie Stephon Castle produced 12 points, three rebounds and two assists while leading Team C to a 25-14 win over Team G League in the championship game of the NBA Rising Stars event on Friday in San Francisco.
Team C, also featuring the Los Angeles Lakers’ Dalton Knecht, the Memphis Grizzlies’ Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells, the Utah Jazz’s Keyonte George, the Phoenix Suns’ Ryan Dunn and the Golden State Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis, earned a spot in the All-Star Game tournament Sunday night.
Castle hit 5 of 8 shots from the floor in the decisive Friday contest. George hit a 3-pointer to give Team C the victory by reaching the target score.
Earlier in the evening, Team C beat Team T 40-34 in the semifinals behind 10 points from George plus seven points, four rebounds and four assists from Knecht. The Toronto Raptors’ Gradey Dick paced Team T with 12 points.
In the other semifinal, Team G League got past Team M 40-39 when Bryce McGowens sank a game-ending 3-pointer.
Leonard Miller, a Minnesota Timberwolves prospect representing the Iowa Wolves, scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds. McGowens, who has played this season for the Portland Trail Blazers and their G League affiliate, Rip City Remix, put up 12 points.
On Sunday, Team C will play in the second semifinal against Team Shaq, which features the Lakers’ LeBron James, the Warriors’ Stephen Curry and the Suns’ Kevin Durant.
In the first All-Star semifinal, Team Chuck, headed by the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous Alexander, will oppose Team Kenny, led by the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards and the New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson.
–Field Level Media
