Wiggins, World team soar to victory in NBA Rising Stars Challenge
NEW YORK (NBA) - Remember those guys that made headlines at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, players like Rudy Gobert of France, Giannis Antetokounmpo of Greece, Gorgui Dieng of Senegal and Bojan Bogdanovic of Croatia?
They were wheeling and dealing on Friday night in Brooklyn for the World team in the NBA All-Star Weekend's Rising Stars Challenge, putting up one highlight reel play after another in a 121-111 victory over the U.S. team.
And Andrew Wiggins, the ballyhooed Canadian of the Minnesota Timberwolves, served up another reminder of what he is going to do for his country's national team one day with a dazzling 22-point MVP performance.
No, there wasn't too much defense played on the night but All-Star Weekends are always about the show, and the offensive fireworks that the high-fliers like Wiggins provide.
Australians Matthew Dellavedova and Dante Exum and Greece's Kostas Papanikolaou were other World team members who played at Spain 2014, and up-and-coming Germany guard Dennis Schroder and Nikola Mirotic logged minutes for the winners.
Dellavedova had 4 points, 4 rebs; Exum with 4 points & 3 assists.
→ http://t.co/hPEj9t2dJv
#BBVACompassRisingStars pic.twitter.com/G2LBZRiLMn
— NBA Australia (@NBA_AU) February 14, 2015Antetokounmpo, who made his senior team bow with Greece last summer, has been sensational this season for the Milwaukee Bucks.
He had 12 points and 10 rebounds in the World team uniform.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's shoes match his jersey. #NBAAllStarNYC pic.twitter.com/sEkpDCmRdK
— SI NBA (@si_nba) February 14, 2015As for the defense?
There may not have been much of it, but Gobert did pull off a block against another FIBA Basketball World Cup player, Mason Plumlee of the United States, that got people off their seats.
Gobert's shot-swatting ability, including his famous "not-in-my-house" rejection of Pau Gasol in the Quarter-Finals of the World Cup, has made him a much loved player back home in France.
When the Utah star guarded the rim and denied Plumlee, the block triggered a fastbreak that Schroder finished with a slam.
Schroder has been a terrific reserve point guard for the Atlanta Hawks this season, the side with the best record in the Eastern Conference.
He excelled for Germany last year in the 2nd Qualification Round for EuroBasket 2015 and will be in the national team this summer when his country hosts Group B games in Berlin.
France big man Ronny Turiaf was among the fans to watch the action.
Congrats to the World Team and my little bros @22wiggins @rudygobert15 @GorguiDieng ! Represent guys !
— Ronny Turiaf (@Ronny_Turiaf) February 14, 2015Bogdanovic, playing on the same court on which he competes for the Nets, had 16 points.
Plumlee, a world champion with the USA in Spain, finished the game with 13 points and nine rebounds.
Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo led the USA team in scoring with 22 points.
FIBA
