Game Recap
Despite a late rally, Myles Turner and the U.S. Team were unable to beat Team World for the second year in a row in the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge, falling 150-141 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on Friday night.
With 5:04 remaining in the game and trailing by four, Turner checked back into the game to try to rally his team. But despite Turner's presence, the U.S. Team was undone by the unreal shooting of Canada's Jamal Murray, who connected on triples on three straight possessions down the stretch, sending Team World to the win. Murray went on to win the night's MVP award, finish the game with 36 points.
"It was funny," Turner explained. "We were so worried about Buddy (Hield), then (Murray) just came out of nowhere and started hitting, brining them back into the game."
Turner, who was playing in his third game in as many nights, finished the evening with 12 points and four rebounds, providing a couple moments that excited that crowd during his first-ever Rising Stars Challenge game.
In the first half, Turner racked up nine points and four rebounds. His first points of the game came in booming fashion, when just minutes in, he corralled a pass from D'Angelo Russell and hammered it with a two-handed slam.
Turner also got the crowd going by dribbling the ball up past halfcourt like a point guard and drilling a deep 3-pointer from the wing, bringing the U.S. Team within two of the lead with minutes remaining in the half.
But Team World, led by a game-high 19 first-half points by Pelicans guard Buddy Hield, pushed out to a 77-66 lead at the break.
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In the second half, Turner opened up the scoring with a jumper to bring the score back to a single-digit deficit.
After another Team World rally, the U.S. team started to find its footing, going on a 14-4 run with 8:51 remaining in the game, thrusting the home team to a 116-111 lead.
But Team World wasn't about to go down easy, as Nuggets guard Jamal Murray caught on fire from deep, burying 9-of-14 3-point attempts to push the international squad back into the lead. From their, Team World cruised to its victory, and remain undefeated in the current Rising Stars format of international versus United States.
"I was just playing within the game," said Murray, the game's MVP. "And I wasn't trying to force it. I was trying to find my teammates and make sure everybody have fun."