NBA Player News
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Dalton Knecht SF | LAL
Lakers' Dalton Knecht: Five points in Rising Stars final
Knecht registered five points (2-5 FG, 1-3 3Pt), two rebounds and one steal over 7:34 of court time in Team C's 25-14 win over Team G League in the Rising Stars finals Friday.
Knecht had a more all-around showing in the semifinals against Team T, finishing with seven points, four rebounds and four assists over 10:21 of playing time. With Friday's win in the finals, Knecht and Team C will go up against Team Shaq in the first round of the All-Star Game tournament Sunday. Knecht rejoined the Lakers' rotation Feb. 12 after his trade to the Hornets got rescinded, but the rookie first-round pick figures to be a key rotational piece for the Lakers following the All-Star break.
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Bryce McGowens SF | POR
Trail Blazers' Bryce McGowens: Hits clutch shot in Rising Stars
McGowens (shoulder) registered two points (1-1 FG) across 3:46 of playing time in Team G League's 25-14 loss to Team C in the final of the Rising Stars event Friday.
McGowens had a far bigger impact during Team G League's 40-39 win over Team M in the semifinals, finishing with 12 points (5-90 FG, 2-4 3Pt), one rebound, one assist and two steals while hitting the game-winning three to advance to the finals. McGowens had been dealing with a shoulder injury prior to the All-Star break, but that didn't prevent him from participating in Friday's Rising Stars event. The 2022 second-round pick will likely return to the G League with the Rip City Remix following the All-Star break.
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Stephon Castle PG | SA
Spurs' Stephon Castle: Wins Rising Stars MVP
Castle claimed Rising Stars MVP honors Friday after tallying 12 points (5-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three rebounds and two assists over 7:34 of court time in Team C's 25-14 win over Team G League in the finals.
Team C demonstrated a balanced scoring effort during its 40-34 win over Team T in the semifinals, during which Castle finished with six points, four assists and four rebounds and hit the game-clinching shot. Castle carried the scoring load for Team C in the finals, and his efforts across both games were enough for him to be named MVP. Castle and Team C will advance to Sunday's All-Star event and will face Team Shaq in the semifinals. Castle will also face off against Matas Buzelis, Andre Jackson and Mac McClung in the Slam Dunk Contest Saturday.
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Leonard Miller SF | MIN
Timberwolves' Leonard Miller: Shows out in Rising Stars event
Miller logged five points (2-7 FG, 1-4 3Pt), two rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal over 7:34 of court time during Team G League's 25-14 loss to Team C in the Rising Stars final.
Miller led the G League team in their 40-39 upset win over Team M in the semifinals, and he finished that contest with a game-high 14 points (7-9 FG, 0-2 3Pt), seven rebounds and one steal over 12:17 of court time. He wasn't able to carry that momentum into the finals, but Miller played a crucial role in the G League making it to that far. The 2023 second-round pick has seen sparse playing time with the Timberwolves, but he could see more minutes off the bench following the All-Star break.
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Carlton Carrington PG | WAS
Wizards' Carlton Carrington: Four assists in Rising Stars semis
Carrington logged five points (2-2 FG, 1-1 FT), four assists and one rebound over 9:02 of court time during Team M's 40-39 loss to Team G League in the Rising Stars semifinal.
Carrington led both teams in assists and finished with a plus-2 point differential. The rookie first-round pick has started in each of his last five games for the Wizards after being moved to the bench in late January. Over that span, he has averaged 16.0 points on 56.9 percent shooting (including 54.5 percent on 6.6 3PA/G), 6.0 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 0.8 steals over 36.4 minutes per game. With Kyle Kuzma now in Milwaukee, Carrington should continue to see an increased role for Washington following the All-Star break.
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Toumani Camara SF | POR
Trail Blazers' Toumani Camara: Eight points in Rising Stars semis
Camara ended with eight points (2-5 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 3-4 FT), two rebounds and one block in 12 minutes during Team M's 40-39 loss to Team G League in Friday's Rising Stars semifinals.
Camara tallied the second-highest scoring mark on the squad, but Team G League's Leonard Miller went for a team-high 14 points to help put Team M away Friday. Camara has emerged as a key contributor with the Trail Blazers in his second season, starting in each of his 53 appearances. The 2023 second-rounder should remain a stable member of Portland's rotation down the stretch of the campaign, and he's averaging 10.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.6 blocks and 1.5 three-pointers in 32.3 minutes.
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Amen Thompson PG | HOU
Rockets' Amen Thompson: Logs 11 points in Rising Stars
Thompson tallied 11 points (5-6 FG, 1-1 FT), two assists and two rebounds over 11:47 of court time during Team M's 40-39 loss to Team G League in the Rising Stars semifinal.
It was a disappointing loss for Team M, but Thompson did his part in leading the team in scoring. He has been an everyday starter for the Rockets since the beginning of January due to the absence of Jabari Smith (hand). Over that span, Thompson has averaged 16.5 points on 52.7 percent shooting, 8.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.6 blocks over 38.4 minutes per game. Smith has been increasing his activity as of late and is expected to return after the All-Star break, but he could serve in a bench role when he comes back while Thompson remains in Houston's starting five.
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Gradey Dick SG | TOR
Raptors' Gradey Dick: Logs 12 points in Rising Stars game
Dick closed with 12 points (5-7 FG, 2-3 3Pt) and one assist in 12 minutes during Team Tim's 40-34 loss to Team Chris in Friday's Rising Stars semifinals.
Dick led the way in scoring with 12 points for Team Tim, but it wasn't enough for a victory. None of the other members of the squad put up more than five points Friday. Although Dick has cooled down significantly following a hot start to the season with the Raptors, he's started in each of his 48 appearances. Overall, the second-year sharpshooter is averaging 15.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.9 steals and 2.1 three-pointers in 29.5 minutes.
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Anthony Black PG | ORL
Magic's Anthony Black: Four dimes in Rising Stars event
Black registered four points (2-5 FG) and four assists over 8:16 of court time in Team T's 40-34 loss to Team C.
Black tied Team C's Stephon Castle and Dalton Knecht in assists in Friday's semifinal. Black's efforts weren't enough for Team T to advance to the Rising Stars final for a shot at a spot in Sunday's All-Star event. Black entered the All-Star break having scored at least 15 points in three of his last five outings, and he's had a larger role for the Magic due to the recent absence of Jalen Suggs (quadriceps). Black and the Magic will hit the road for their first game after the break against the Hawks on Thursday, Feb. 20.
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Tristan da Silva SF | ORL
Magic's Tristan da Silva: Five points in Rising Stars event
da Silva finished with five points (2-2 FG, 1-1 3Pt), one rebound, one assist and one steal in 10 minutes during Team Tim's 40-34 loss to Team Chris in Friday's Rising Stars semifinals.
Despite coming off the bench and perhaps not being the biggest name on Team Tim, da Silva produced the second-highest scoring output on the squad behind teammate Gradey Dick's 12 points. da Silva has made an impact during his rookie season with the Magic, starting in 35 of his 52 games, largely due to the injuries to star forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner earlier this season. The 2024 first-rounder averages 8.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.5 steals and 1.2 three-pointers in 24.9 minutes per game in 2024-25.