Jose Alvarado was voted MVP of the Rising Stars Challenge, but he was one in the hearts of viewers long before that. The Pelicans guard proved his worth as an entertainer on All-Star Friday, where Team Pau won the Rising Stars Challenge.
A star from the New York Knicks was even better in terms of play, and the young Pacers also shone. Franz Wagner did not build on his heroic deeds of the previous year.
Rising Stars Semifinals 1: Team Pau – Team Deron 40:25
- In the starting phase, the young stars chased the ball back and forth at lightning speed and took turns with mostly free three-pointers or dunks. There was hardly any defense. Jose Alvarado tried his now famous hiding tactic in the corner of the opponent’s half but was unsuccessful.
- After the first break, Alvarado was even switched to the broadcast as an active player in the middle of a game with a microphone for the first time and took over the entertainment single-handedly. The Pelicans guard left nothing uncommented and celebrated seven of his points and an assist, and there was also a compliment for Franz Wagner’s defense in the opposing team against Paolo Banchero.
- “I don’t want to lie, I’m tired,” said Alvarado after a few more sprints, between which he still had the breath to talk. after one outstanding pass from Andrew Nembhard he set the score to 29:21, and Team Deron failed to make a comeback. Pacer rookies Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin extended the lead, while Keegan Murray put the end of the game to Downtown with his first points of the game. Pau Gasol looked surprised at how clearly his team won.
- Alvarado was the top scorer of the game with 13 points (6/10 FG), followed by Paolo Banchero (9, 4/6) and Mathurin (7, 2/6) for Team Pau. At the other end, Trey Murphy III went out ahead with 9 points at 4/6. Despite only occasional defense, both teams hit less than 50 percent from the field and less than a third of their three-pointers, with Team Deron only 3/16. Wagner, who made himself a hero last year, remained without a point this time (0/3 3P).
Rising Stars Halbfinale 2: Team Joakim – Team Jason 40:32
- After some impressive action from Kenny Lofton Jr., who looks like the G-League’s Zion Williamson physically and left-handed, Team Jason led 7-6. However, the NBA stars then went on a run of seven unanswered points, with Quentin Grimes later making it 24-11 for Team Joakim.
- During this strong period of his team, Josh Giddey had the honor of being equipped with the microphone on the floor. He wasn’t quite as good at multitasking as Alvarado and didn’t provide quite as much commentary, but he did reveal some interesting things. For example how his teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander inspires him with his fashion style and that his role models as passers are LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
- Team Jason, led by Mac McClung, fought their way back into the game and came up to 27:28, but then the opponents were back on the trigger. Giddey made it 37:23 with a three, then Jeremy Sochan tried to win from the halfway line. He had announced earlier that day that Jabari Smith Jr. would have to dye his hair if he were hit from there, as Sochan already has.
- However, it was then that he scored the winning goal Grimes with a pullup from full sprint, he was the outstanding man of the game with 13 points and 5/6 FG. Giddey (3) fired the ball to teammates (6 assists) and opponents (4 turnovers) at the same time, Sochan (6, 3/4 FG) only missed the goal from a very long distance. For Team Jason, McClung provided the best phase with 10 points (2/4 3P).
NBA – Rising Stars Finale: Team Joakim – Team Pau 30:42
- After two semi-finals without much defense, the intensity in the final of the Rising Stars Challenge was significantly higher. The only undrafted player in all four teams, Jose Alvarado, scored the winning goal after almost eight minutes. The Pelicans guard was subsequently also recognized with the title of Rising Stars MVP.
- “I’m not 1.95 tall, I’m not athletic,” Alvarado said afterwards in an interview with Adam Lefkoe, Candace Parker and Jamal Crawford: “I don’t have a crazy span, but I have a heart that you can’t measure.”
- When the trophy was presented, his young daughter stole the show from him, but before that he had proved himself to be a true showman. Before his winning goal he had Donovan Mitchell promised on the sidelinesthat he would take his chance. When the moment arrived, Pascal Siakam captured him with an old-fashioned video camera while he was wearing a black beanie. He was reminiscent of Shaquille O’Neal and his reaction to Vince Carter’s legendary elbow dunk at the 2000 Dunk Contest.
- Top scorer of the game was Quentin Grimes from Team Joakim with 14 points (4/7 3P). Team Pau led 14-10 before Grimes put his team ahead with eight straight points. However, only one of his teammates was successful from the field, Josh Giddey with 1/1 FG for 2 points. Team Pau ended the duel with a 9:2 run, which Alvarado also started. There the scoring was better distributed, Bennedict Mathurin went ahead with 7 points at 3/5. Alvarado scored 5 points (2/4 FG) and played 1 assist, Scottie Barnes contributed 6 points (3/4).
