Jordan Hawkins helps lead Team Jalen to Rising Stars championship

While filling a reserve role for Team Jalen in Friday’s semifinals of the Panini Rising Stars event, New Orleans rookie guard Jordan Hawkins watched from the sideline as his squad fell behind 9-0 to Team Tamika. Normally that wouldn’t be reason for major concern in an NBA game, but with a target score of just 40 to clinch a victory, time was of the essence. Upon checking in, Hawkins made an immediate impact, draining a three-pointer and scoring a layup. Team Jalen quickly erased the early deficit, with Hawkins scoring seven points and grabbing five rebounds in a 40-35 victory. The UConn product and 2023 NCAA champion was a plus-12 in only 10:28 of action.

With All-Star weekend being held in Indianapolis, a local favorite emerged as the MVP of the event, with Team Jalen guard Bennedict Mathurin of the Indiana Pacers taking the trophy. In 2023, Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado earned that award and sank the title-winning basket.

In the finals vs. Team Detlef, Hawkins added five more points, as Team Jalen won the event championship, 26-13. He handed out a pair of assists to Dallas rookie Dereck Lively during a surge, then nailed a pull-up three-pointer to get his squad within a bucket of the 25 target score.