INDIANAPOLIS — Thanks to Mac McClung and several members of the G League Ignite team, Victor Wembanyama-Chet Holmgren will have no competition.
Instead, Benedict Mathurin had a chance to be a hometown hero as the Indiana Pacers guard led Team Jalen to victory in Friday night’s NBA Rising Stars game.
Mathurin scored 18 points and hit the game-winning shot in the semi-finals against Team Tamika before helping lead a balanced effort against Team Detlef in the finals.
For his efforts, Mathurin was named the game’s MVP and attracted several MVP chants from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd throughout the game.
“It was fun. It was fun to see those spells, to get them,” Mathurin said. “The Rising Stars game, I feel like I haven’t really gotten that feeling in the NBA. One day I want to be an MVP, so it was great to have that feeling so early in my career.”
Under the new Rising Stars format starting in 2023, rookies, second-year sophomores and select G Leaguers are divided into four teams. Teams play semi-finals against each other to a target score of 40 before reaching the final 25.
In the finals, a rested Team Jalen quickly jumped out to a 10-4 lead and controlled the game from there with back-to-back 3-pointers from New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Hawkins and Oklahoma City forward Jalen Williams. Ended. Win 26-13.
This is Mathurin’s second Rising Stars win; He was in the team Pau that won the competition in 2023.
Mathurin, whose teammates Tyrese Haliburton, Miles Turner and Obi Toppin sat courtside, had a chance to win the semifinals with a pair of free throws in the first game, but the 82.5% free-throw shooter missed both.
Losing the next time, he made sure to make up for it with a turnaround jumper for the win.
“I saw some shots go in and I was like, it’s over,” Mathurin said of what motivated him to go in the first game. “If I’m completely honest, it’s my city too. I had to make sure I brought it home. So that was the main thing for me.”
Despite 11 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks from the Spurs rookie, Wembanyama and Team Pau could not overcome Team Detlef in their semi-finals. Team Detlef led by as many as 12, but the Gasol-led team took the lead by three late. In the end, G League Ignite forward Matas Buzelis, who is eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft, hit a jumper to give his team the win.
“It was fun,” Buzzellis said. “It was good to compete with the best in the world and show what kind of talent I have. Excited for the future.”
On the game-winning shot, Bouzelis drew an offensive rebound from Aldon Williams – who is on a two-way contract with the Miami Heat – after missing a long 3-point attempt.
“I got a rebound and I’ve been working on my post game, my post fade,” Bouzelis said. “I think I can make that shot every time. So I took it and it went in.”
Despite the defeat, the weekend is not over for Vembanyama, who will take part in the skills challenge on Saturday night.
“I mean it was kind of weird because at the same time I want to win and hate to lose, but at the same time I have a lot going on and I’m glad I checked one thing off the list this weekend. Removed,” Vembanyama said.
