Tonight, February 12, the best first- and second-year players in the NBA get together for the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge. You won't want to miss any of the action; below is the live stream link, TV schedule, rosters and preview.
Game Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Channel: TNT
Location: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada
Live Stream: NBA on TNT
Free Live Stream: Stream2U
U.S. Roster:
- - Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers
- - Rodney Hood, Utah Jazz
- - Zach Lavine, Minnesota Timberwolves
- - Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns (replaces injured Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers)
- - Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic
- - D'Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers
- - Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics
- - Jabari Parker, Milwaukee Bucks
- - Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
- - Jahlil Okafor, Philadelphia 76ers
World Roster:
- - Emmanuel Mudiay, Denver Nuggets
- - Raul Neto, Utah Jazz
- - Mario Hezonja, Orlando Magic
- - Bojan Bogdanovic, Brooklyn Nets
- - Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves
- - Trey Lyles, Utah Jazz (replaces injured Nikola Mirotic, Chicago Bulls)
- - Dwight Powell, Dallas Mavericks
- - Kristaps Porzingis, New York Knicks
- - Clint Capela, Houston Rockets
- - Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
The Rising Stars challenge isn't the most highly-anticipated event of All-Star weekend, but if you love offensive basketball, this is just as good of a game entertainment-wise as the actual All-Star game. Always high-scoring, it's fun to see some of the best college and international players go head-to-head a year or two after getting into the NBA.
In 2016, for the second year in a row, it'll be the U.S.-born players vs. international-born. Unfortunately for the World roster, the U.S. seems to have the upper-hand this year.
The World team won 121-112 in 2015, but the U.S. has added some potential high scorers.
Booker has been absolutely on fire from deep this season, especially recently. He'll have the opportunity to put up as many long balls as he sees fit in this one, and could completely change the game. Down low, he'll have Towns and Okafor, the No. 1 and 3 picks in the 2015 NBA Draft. Those two may very well dominate the glass, even with Porzingis and Jokic on the other end. Towns is certainly the best rebounder on either squad.
What this game will come down to is the guard play, though. Both teams combined have 11 (arguably 12) guards out of the 20 players. These guys are going to try and keep the pace going high all game long, and the U.S. simply seems better equipped to do so with Clarkson, Russell, Lavine and Booker, especially since Mudiay, Neto, Hezonja and Bogdanovic aren't exactly high scorers.
Prediction: U.S. 134, World 119
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