NBA All-Star Rising Stars Challenge: Jalen Williams hits title-winning shot as Bennedict Mathurin claims MVP honours.

Jed Wells

NBA All-Star Rising Stars Challenge: Jalen Williams hits title-winning shot as Bennedict Mathurin claims MVP honours. image

The NBA's best and brightest young stars took to the floor for the Panini Rising Stars Challenge this Saturday, with action-packed basketball across the three game slate.

Team Jalen were the eventual champions, led by MVP Bennedict Mathurin, as well as OKC Thunder duo Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, the latter of who hit the game-winning shot.

In a surprise result, the G-League unit Team Detlef took down Team Pau, which featured Victor Wembanyama, while Team Jalen's path to the final ran through Team Tamika, starring 2024 All-Star Paolo Banchero.

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NBA All-Star Rising Stars Challenge: Live updates, scores, highlights

(All times AEDT)

3:04 p.m. - Game 3 Result: Team Jalen 25 def. Team Detlef 13

3:01 p.m. - Perhaps fittingly, it was Jalen Williams who scored the winning basket for Team Jalen, as they took down Team Detlef with ease. Hometown hero Bennedict Mathurin takes home the MVP award for his stellar efforts, with 22 points across the two games.

2:53 p.m. - Derek Lively scores his sixth point in just three minutes of play, keeping Team Jalen comfortably in the driver's seat.

2:43 p.m. - Tshiebwe takes flight, putting Kessler on a POSTER!

2:41 p.m. - It's Team Detlef vs. Team Jalen, who will claim the trophy?

2:29 p.m. - Game 2 Result: Team Detlef 41 def. Team Pau 36

2:27 p.m. - Matas Buzelis hits the game-winner and Team Detlef is headed to the finals.

2:20 p.m. - Mac McClung gets fouled on a three-point attempt with the scores sitting 37-32, and while Team Pau has challenged, Wembanyama and his squad could be heading home early.

2:14 p.m. - Cason Wallace gets a stop, and a score, and Team Pau pulls to within four, before Wembanyama gets the and-1 dunk to make it a one-possession game.

2:10 p.m. - It's a 19-5 run for Team Detlef, thanks to the outstanding play of reigning Slam Dunk champion Mac McClung, who has 10 of his team's 25 points.

2:04 p.m. - Alondes Williams gains Team Detlef the lead with an insane tomahawk dunk, before Emoni Bates laces a deeeeeep three, and Oscar Tshiebwe finishes us off with a two-hand flush, pushing the score to 15-8.

1:58 p.m. - First play, first Wembanyama points. Who could've guessed?

1:47 p.m. - Next up, the G-League All-Stars Team Detlef takes on Team Pau.

1:44 p.m. - Game 1 Result: Team Jalen 40 def. Team Tamika 35

1:43 p.m. - Mathurin tries to bet $25,000 to win it from the line - and misses both free throws. Next possession, he hits the contest mid-range to end the game. Ice cold. 

1:39 p.m. - Ivey takes on Mathurin in the air, Mathurin returns serve with a contested three, and all of a sudden it's 38-35, with a target score of 40. Ivey fouls his opponent and sends him to the line to win it - but Tamika challenges.

1:37 p.m. - Mathurin and Ivey bringing the spice early, with the player mics picking up the trash talk after Ivey sent Mathurin to the line, giving the Pacers' youngster 13 of his team's 34 points - Ivey drops a bomb on the rim in retaliation.

1:32 p.m. - Jazz-on-Jazz crime as Keyonte George gets the better of teammate Walker Kessler with the sweet up-and-under.

1:25 p.m. - Jordan Hawkins strolls down main street for a layup and Team Jalen takes their first lead, 17-16.

1:21 p.m. - It's a dunk off early, as Banchero and Chet Holmgren trade highlight slams.

1:16 p.m. - Team Jalen takes a quick timeout after Paolo Banchero extends his team's lead to 9-0.

1:14 p.m. - Team Jalen takes on Team Tamika start us off, with Jalen Duren and Keegan Murray giving Team Tamika a quick five-point lead.

1:04 p.m. - With the Celebrity Game wrapping up, the action should begin shortly.

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NBA All-Star Rising Stars Challenge start time

  • Date: Saturday, Feb. 17
  • Time: 1:00 p.m. AEDT

The Rising Stars Challenge will tip off around 1:00 p.m. AEDT on Saturday, Feb. 17. The event will be held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

NBA All-Star Rising Stars Challenge rosters

Team Pau

Player Team
Victor Wembanyama (Rookie) Spurs
Brandon Miller (Rookie) Hornets
Brandin Podziemski (Rookie) Warriors
Jaime Jaquez. Jr. (Rookie) Heat
Jabari Smith Jr. (Sophomore) Rockets
Cason Wallace (Rookie) Thunder
Bilal Coulibaly (Rookie) Wizards

Team Tamika

Player Team
Paolo Banchero (Sophomore) Magic
Jaden Ivey (Sophomore) Pistons
Dyson Daniels  (Sophomore) Pelicans
Jalen Duren (Sophomore) Pistons
Keegan Murray (Sophomore) Kings
Scoot Henderson (Rookie) Trail Blazers
Keyonte George (Rookie) Jazz
*Vince Williams Jr. (Sophomore) Grizzlies

* Injury replacement for Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels who will not play

Team Jalen

Player Team
Chet Holmgren (Rookie) Thunder
Jalen Williams (Sophomore) Thunder
Shaedon Sharpe (Sophomore) Trail Blazers
Bennedict Mathurin (Sophomore) Pacers
Dereck Lively II (Rookie) Mavericks
Jordan Hawkins (Rookie) Pelicans
*Jeremy Sochan (Sophomore) Spurs

* Injury replacement for Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe

Team Detlef

Player Team
Izan Almansa  G League Ignite
*Emoni Bates Cleveland Charge
Matas Buzelis G League Ignite
Ron Holland  G League Ignite
Mac McClung Osceola Magic
Tyler Smith G League Ignite
Oscar Tshiebwe Indiana Mad Ants
Alondes Williams Sioux Falls Skyforce

* Injury replacement for G League Ignite's Ron Holland who will not play

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NBA All-Star Rising Stars Challenge format

Here is the full breakdown of the three-game mini-tournament, per NBA.com:

All three games in the mini-tournament will be played to a Final Target Score, which means each game will end on a made basket or free throw rather than time expiring.

The two semifinal games – Game 1 and Game 2 – will be played to a Final Target Score of 40.

The final game, featuring the winners, will be played to a Final Target Score of 25 to determine the tournament champion.

  • Game 1: Team Jalen vs. Team Tamika
  • Game 2: Team Detlef vs. Team Pau
  • Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2

2024 NBA All-Star schedule

Saturday, Feb. 17

  • Celebrity Game (11:00 a.m. AEDT)
  • Rising Stars Challenge (1 p.m. AEDT)

Sunday, Feb. 18

  • HBCU Classic (6:00 a.m. AEDT)
  • Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest and Slam Dunk Contest (12:00 p.m. AEDT)

Monday, Feb. 19

  • 2024 NBA All-Star Game (12:00 p.m. AEDT)

Jed Wells

Jed Wells Photo

Jed is a writer and social media producer, who has a keen interest in the intersection of sports and popular culture, especially basketball.