NBA Rising Stars 2024: Bennedict Mathurin unanimously named MVP to lead Team Jalen to title

Indiana Pacers sophomore Bennedict Mathurin on Friday was unanimously named MVP of the 2024 NBA Rising Stars game to lead Team Jalen to the championship in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Mathurin produced 18 points in the opening game as Team Jalen defeated Team Tamika. He had four points, two assists and one steal in a 26-13 win in the final over Team Detlef, which consisted of seven of the top players in the G League.

While Mathurin did the bulk of the scoring in the semifinal round, Dereck Lively II had six points and Jordan Hawkins and Jalen Williams each chipped in five points in the final. Williams drained the game-winning 3-pointer to end it for Team Jalen.

The event featured four seven-player teams competing in a three-game tournament for the third straight year. The two semifinal games were played to a target score of 40, and the championship game was played to a target score of 25.

The pool of players for the game consisted of 11 rookies, 10 second-year players and seven players from the G League. The players from the NBA were selected by assistant coaches and the players from the G League were selected by the league office.

The four teams were coached by Hall of Famer Pau Gasol, Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings, and former Pacers standouts Jalen Rose and Detlef Schrempf, who led the G League team.

Here is how the teams performed in the event.

Team Jalen

Team Jalen, who trailed by nine points early in their semifinal game, rebounded to defeat Team Tamika to tip off the evening at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. They then posted a dominating victory over Team Detlef to take home the trophy.

Here is how Team Jalen performed in their two games:

Team Detlef

After shocking Team Pau in the second game of the semifinal round, Team Detlef lost 26-13 to Team Jalen in the championship game to cap off an exciting first night of action.

The G League players put on a show to start their evening in an upset win over Team Pau. Mac McClung paced the group with 12 points, five rebounds and three assists, and Matas Buzelis hit the game-winner on a baseline fadeaway. He finished with seven points.

Team Detlef ran out of gas in the final game to come up just short of winning the event. They got some strong performances from the top players in the G League, with each contributing.

Here is how Team Detlef performed in their two games:

Team Tamika

Team Tamika got off to a hot start to open the event after building a 9-0 lead, prompting Team Jalen to call a timeout. They capitalized on three early turnovers by Team Jalen and looked to be coasting to securing a spot in the title game.

However, Team Jalen rebounded behind a strong performance by Bennedict Mathurin and eventually took the semifinal matchup, 40-35. Mathurin erupted for 18 points and controlled the pace down the stretch. He even got into it a little bit with Jaden Ivey.

Scoot Henderson, who made his third appearance in the annual showcase game, led Team Tamika with 10 points. He connected on a 3-pointer and converted a tough and-1 opportunity late in the contest to make things interesting.

Here is how the rest of Team Tamika performed:

Jaden Ivey: 8 points, 4 steals, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

Keegan Murray: 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists

Paolo Banchero: 5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

Vince Williams Jr.: 3 points, 2 assists, 1 steal

Jalen Duren: 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal

Keyonte George: 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 block

Team Pau

Team Pau, which featured Victor Wembanyama, were upset in the second game of the evening by Team Detlef, which consisted of seven players from the G League.

They were down by 12 points and looked to be heading toward an early exit. The group posted a 12-2 run to cut the deficit to 29-27, which prompted a timeout by Team Detlef. Following the stoppage, Team Detlef ended the game on a 12-9 run to win.

Wembanyama paced Team Pau with 11 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, one assist and one steal in his first appearance in the contest. He dazzled the crowd with his dribbling and post-up moves and looked to be the best player on the floor.

Here is how the rest of Team Pau performed:

Cason Wallace: 8 points, 1 assist

Jaime Jaquez Jr.: 6 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds

Jabari Smith Jr.: 4 points, 1 rebound

Bilal Coulibaly: 4 points, 1 assist and 1 steal

Brandin Podziemski: 3 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds

Brandon Miller: 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block

Story originally appeared on Rookie Wire