Team Jalen wins Rising Stars Challenge, Bennedict Mathurin takes home MVP

After a surprise early exit from Wemby’s Team Pau, Team Jalen and Jeremy Sochan took out Team Detlef 26-13.

The NBA Rising Stars Challenge once again featured a mini tournament-style bracket of four teams. Three of the four teams were drafted in a snake draft, while the fourth team (Team Detlef), featured G-League Ignite players and G-League standout players. Team Pau, Team Tamika, and Team Jalen were the other teams that featured rookies and sophomores around the NBA. Victor Wembanyama was drafted first overall by Team Pau. In the first round, the teams’ objective was to be the first to match the target score of 40 points. In the championship round, the target score was shortened to 25 points.

Here’s a look at the rosters for these teams:

The first matchup featured Team Jalen versus Team Tamika.

Jaden Ivey speeds past the defense for the easy lay!

Hoops fans love back-to-back dunk sequences! Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren trade unique slams of their own.

Bennedict Mathurin showed the beginning of his dominance towards the MVP award here by going behind-the-back on the fastbreak for the layup.

Another Jaden Ivey speed boost! This time instead of the layup, he goes for the breakaway slam!

Most underrated play of the tournament: Scoot Henderson sizes up Chet Holmgren and finishes a wild scoop and-one over Walker Kessler!

Ben Mathurin nails a fadeaway jumper for his 18th point of the game and sends Team Jalen to the ship!

In the second matchup, Team Pau took on Team Detlef.

Victor Wembanyama got Team Pau going with a middy jumper that looks too easy.

Wemby the Point God? Usually on the receiving end of alley-oops, this time Wemby lobs it to an open Jaime Jaquez Jr. for the finish.

Miami may want to call this man up from the G-League. Alondes Williams put on a show in this game and started with a transition dunk.

This is how you put on a show. Williams puts the spin cycle on Bilal Coulibaly and finishes the layup over JJJ all in one smooth motion!

Izan Almansa, welcome to the party! The two-way center denies Coulibaly at the rim and then slams it home over Brandon Miller.

Simply. Too. Easy. Brandin Podziemski and Wemby run the pick and roll to perfection and complete the lob connection!

NBA fans are still wondering how Williams avoided a Wemby swat here.

Mac McClung drives to the lane for the win and Wemby swats it away! Some fans thought after this moment, Team Pau was going to come back and win.

Future top 5 pick Matas Buzelis shows his ability to create his own shot by nailing the turnaround jumper over Brandon Miller for the win. The huge upset was complete.

The Final was set: Team Jalen versus Team Detlef.

Oscar Tshiebwe shows Walker Kessler absolutely no mercy as he posterized him off the Mac McClung feed!

Jeremy Sochan makes an appearance in the highlight reel by making a nice hockey assist. Jeremy finds Mathurin who makes a wild over-the-head pass to Kessler under the rim for the finish.

Jalen Williams puts the finishing touches on the Rising Stars by swishing a top of the key three-ball! Team Jalen wins the Rising Stars Tournament!

Bennedict Mathurin took home Rising Stars MVP with 22 points in total and got cooled off by Jeremy and Derek Lively II.

And finally, here are the full Rising Stars highlights.