A glorified scrimmage, a no-defense charade — call it the NBA Rising Stars Game, whatever you want, but it certainly was one thing:
Exciting as all heck.
Behind 35 points from Los Angeles Lakers forward and game MVP Kyle Kuzma and another 30 from Boston Celtics wing Jayson Tatum, Team USA defeated Team World 161-144 on Friday night in the first NBA All-Star Weekend event with current players.
But really, the score mattered less Friday night than all the sensational plays and displays of athleticism on the court at Spectrum Center. With the first five picks in the 2018 NBA draft all participating in the same game, it was a night to celebrate the best and brightest young stars in the entire league.