2015 NBA RISING STARS CHALLENGE - FINAL
TEAM WORLD 121 - TEAM USA 112
Halftime: Team World 69, Team USA 67
MVP: Andrew Wiggins - 22 Points, 6 Rebounds, 4 Assists
Attendance: 15,451
2015 NBA Rising Stars Challenge Recap
The 2015 NBA Rising Stars Challenge was played on February 13, 2015, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, as part of NBA All-Star Weekend. Team World defeated Team USA 121-112 in the first edition of the event to feature a matchup between young international players and young American players.
The new format replaced the drafted-team system used from 2012 through 2014. Rather than having former NBA stars select mixed rosters, the league divided eligible rookies and second-year players into teams representing the United States and the rest of the world. The change reflected the growing international presence in the NBA and created a new rivalry within the annual exhibition.
Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Andrew Wiggins led Team World with 22 points, six rebounds and four assists, earning Most Valuable Player honors. Wiggins made eight of his 11 field-goal attempts and converted all five free throws. The Canadian forward, selected first overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, provided several athletic finishes and helped Team World pull away in the second half.
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert contributed 18 points, a game-high 12 rebounds and three blocked shots. Gobert shot seven-for-10 from the field and made all four free throws. His interior presence gave Team World a major advantage around the basket, particularly on the defensive end.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered an impressive all-around performance, finishing with 12 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocked shots. Antetokounmpo's versatility and athleticism offered an early glimpse of the extraordinary career that would follow.
Chicago Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic scored 16 points, making four of six three-point attempts. Brooklyn Nets forward Bojan Bogdanovic also scored 16 points, connecting on three three-pointers while representing Team World on his home court.
Minnesota Timberwolves center Gorgui Dieng added 14 points on six-of-eight shooting. Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schroder scored 13 points and distributed a game-high nine assists, helping Team World create scoring opportunities in transition.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova and Utah Jazz rookie Dante Exum scored four points apiece. Houston Rockets forward Kostas Papanikolaou contributed two points and three assists.
Team USA was led by Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Zach LaVine and Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo, who scored 22 points each. LaVine made nine of his 11 field-goal attempts, including two three-pointers, while Oladipo scored 22 points and added four assists and four steals.
Utah Jazz guard Trey Burke contributed 17 points and four assists, shooting eight-for-14 from the field. Brooklyn Nets center Mason Plumlee scored 13 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, providing Team USA with much of its interior production.
Charlotte Hornets forward Cody Zeller scored 12 points on six-of-seven shooting. Minnesota forward Shabazz Muhammad added 10 points and five rebounds, while Detroit Pistons guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished with eight points.
Philadelphia 76ers center Nerlens Noel recorded four points, four rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots. Orlando rookie Elfrid Payton contributed two points and three assists, and Philadelphia forward Robert Covington added two points.
Philadelphia guard Michael Carter-Williams was also listed in the game's statistics, appearing briefly and scoring two points. He had been dealing with an injury entering the event, and Covington was added to the roster as an injury replacement.
Team World took a narrow 69-67 lead into halftime. Both teams played at a fast pace, with frequent dunks, alley-oops and transition baskets. The international roster gradually gained control through its combination of accurate shooting and strong rebounding.
Team World outscored Team USA 52-45 in the second half to secure the nine-point victory. The World team finished shooting 58.5 percent from the field, compared with 49.5 percent for Team USA.
Team World's 46 individual player rebounds also exceeded Team USA's 36. Gobert and Antetokounmpo combined for 22 rebounds, while Wiggins provided efficient scoring and leadership.
The 2015 Rising Stars Challenge was a landmark game in the event's history. It established the USA-versus-World format, highlighted the NBA's expanding international talent pool and featured future stars such as Wiggins, Antetokounmpo, Gobert, LaVine and Oladipo.
2015 NBA Rising Stars Challenge Game Information
Date: February 13, 2015
Arena: Barclays Center
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Attendance: 15,451
Final Score: Team World 121, Team USA 112
Halftime: Team World 69, Team USA 67
Second Half: Team World 52, Team USA 45
Most Valuable Player: Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves
MVP Statistics: 22 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists
MVP Shooting: 8-11 FG, 1-4 3PT, 5-5 FT
Leading Scorers: Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Victor Oladipo, 22 each
Leading Rebounder: Rudy Gobert, 12 rebounds
Leading Assists: Dennis Schroder, 9 assists
Team World Head Coach: Kenny Atkinson
Team USA Head Coach: Alvin Gentry
Officials: Tre Maddox, Kevin Scott, Karl Lane
Game Format: USA vs. World
2015 NBA Rising Stars Challenge Score by Half
| Team | First Half | Second Half | Final |
|---|
| Team World | 69 | 52 | 121 |
| Team USA | 67 | 45 | 112 |
2015 NBA Rising Stars Box Score - Team World
Head Coach: Kenny Atkinson | Result: Won 121-112
| Player | NBA Team | MIN |
FG | 3PT | FT |
OR | DR | REB |
AST | PF | STL |
TO | BLK | PTS |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | 25 | 4-9 | 0-1 | 4-6 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 12 |
| Nikola Mirotic | Chicago Bulls | 21 | 6-9 | 4-6 | 0-0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 16 |
| Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz | 21 | 7-10 | 0-0 | 4-4 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 18 |
| Andrew Wiggins (MVP) | Minnesota Timberwolves | 23 | 8-11 | 1-4 | 5-5 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 22 |
| Dennis Schroder | Atlanta Hawks | 23 | 6-11 | 0-1 | 1-3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| Matthew Dellavedova | Cleveland Cavaliers | 17 | 2-6 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Dante Exum | Utah Jazz | 17 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Kostas Papanikolaou | Houston Rockets | 17 | 1-4 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Gorgui Dieng | Minnesota Timberwolves | 19 | 6-8 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 14 |
| Bojan Bogdanovic | Brooklyn Nets | 17 | 6-10 | 3-7 | 1-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| Kelly Olynyk | Boston Celtics | Did not play - injured |
| Steven Adams | Oklahoma City Thunder | Did not play - injured |
| TEAM TOTAL | | 200 | 48-82 | 8-23 | 17-22 | 11 | 35 | 46 | 32 | 14 | 17 | 28 | 8 | 121 |
Team World shooting: 58.5% FG, 34.8% 3PT, 77.3% FT. Team rebounds: 5.
Roster notes: Steven Adams and Kelly Olynyk were unavailable because of injuries. Jusuf Nurkic was initially selected as an injury replacement but did not participate; Kostas Papanikolaou was subsequently added to the roster.
2015 NBA Rising Stars Box Score - Team USA
Head Coach: Alvin Gentry | Result: Lost 121-112
| Player | NBA Team | MIN |
FG | 3PT | FT |
OR | DR | REB |
AST | PF | STL |
TO | BLK | PTS |
| Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | Detroit Pistons | 20 | 3-15 | 1-6 | 1-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Nerlens Noel | Philadelphia 76ers | 17 | 2-5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Cody Zeller | Charlotte Hornets | 20 | 6-7 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| Victor Oladipo | Orlando Magic | 26 | 8-21 | 3-8 | 3-4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 22 |
| Elfrid Payton | Orlando Magic | 16 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Mason Plumlee | Brooklyn Nets | 22 | 5-7 | 0-0 | 3-4 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 13 |
| Trey Burke | Utah Jazz | 24 | 8-14 | 1-6 | 0-1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| Zach LaVine | Minnesota Timberwolves | 21 | 9-11 | 2-4 | 2-2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 22 |
| Shabazz Muhammad | Minnesota Timberwolves | 18 | 4-8 | 0-1 | 2-2 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| Robert Covington | Philadelphia 76ers | 16 | 1-6 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Michael Carter-Williams | Philadelphia 76ers | 1 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| TEAM TOTAL | | 200 | 47-95 | 7-29 | 11-14 | 13 | 23 | 36 | 22 | 13 | 20 | 23 | 5 | 112 |
Team USA shooting: 49.5% FG, 24.1% 3PT, 78.6% FT. Team rebounds: 3.
Roster note: Robert Covington was added as an injury replacement for Michael Carter-Williams. The game statistics also credit Carter-Williams with a brief appearance.
2015 NBA Rising Stars Challenge Team Statistics
| Statistic | Team World | Team USA |
|---|
| Final Score | 121 | 112 |
| First Half | 69 | 67 |
| Second Half | 52 | 45 |
| Field Goals | 48-82 | 47-95 |
| Field Goal Percentage | 58.5% | 49.5% |
| Three-Pointers | 8-23 | 7-29 |
| Three-Point Percentage | 34.8% | 24.1% |
| Free Throws | 17-22 | 11-14 |
| Free Throw Percentage | 77.3% | 78.6% |
| Offensive Rebounds | 11 | 13 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 35 | 23 |
| Player Rebounds | 46 | 36 |
| Assists | 32 | 22 |
| Steals | 17 | 20 |
| Blocked Shots | 8 | 5 |
| Turnovers | 28 | 23 |
| Personal Fouls | 14 | 13 |
2015 NBA Rising Stars Challenge Statistical Leaders
| Category | Player | Team | Total |
|---|
| Points | Andrew Wiggins / Zach LaVine / Victor Oladipo | Both Teams | 22 |
| Rebounds | Rudy Gobert | Team World | 12 |
| Assists | Dennis Schroder | Team World | 9 |
| Steals | Giannis Antetokounmpo / Victor Oladipo / Robert Covington | Both Teams | 4 |
| Blocked Shots | Rudy Gobert | Team World | 3 |
| Three-Pointers Made | Nikola Mirotic | Team World | 4 |
| Team World Scoring Leader | Andrew Wiggins | Team World | 22 |
| Team USA Scoring Leaders | Zach LaVine / Victor Oladipo | Team USA | 22 |
| Team USA Rebounds Leader | Mason Plumlee | Team USA | 9 |
| Team USA Assists Leaders | Trey Burke / Victor Oladipo | Team USA | 4 |
2015 NBA Rising Stars Challenge Historical Notes
First USA vs. World Rising Stars Game
The 2015 event introduced the USA-versus-World format, replacing the drafted teams used from 2012 through 2014. The format highlighted the NBA's increasing international influence.
Andrew Wiggins Wins MVP
Canadian rookie Andrew Wiggins scored 22 points, grabbed six rebounds and distributed four assists. He shot eight-for-11 from the field and made all five free throws.
Rudy Gobert Records a Double-Double
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots, helping Team World control the paint.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Displays His Versatility
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded 12 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocked shots.
Zach LaVine and Victor Oladipo Lead Team USA
LaVine and Oladipo scored 22 points each. LaVine shot nine-for-11 from the field, while Oladipo also recorded four steals.
Dennis Schroder Records Nine Assists
Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schroder led all players with nine assists and contributed 13 points.
Brooklyn's Bojan Bogdanovic Plays at Home
Brooklyn Nets forward Bojan Bogdanovic scored 16 points, including three three-pointers, while representing Team World at Barclays Center.
Three Utah Jazz Players Participate
Rudy Gobert and Dante Exum represented Team World, while Trey Burke played for Team USA. Gobert recorded 18 points and 12 rebounds, Exum scored four points, and Burke scored 17 points.
Injuries Lead to Roster Changes
Steven Adams, Kelly Olynyk and Michael Carter-Williams were among the players affected by injuries. Robert Covington, Matthew Dellavedova and Kostas Papanikolaou were among the replacement selections.
2015 NBA All-Star Weekend
The Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference 163-158 in the main NBA All-Star Game on February 15, 2015. Russell Westbrook won MVP honors. Zach LaVine won the Slam Dunk Contest, Stephen Curry won the Three-Point Contest and Patrick Beverley won the Skills Challenge.
2015 NBA Rising Stars Challenge FAQ
Who won the 2015 NBA Rising Stars Challenge?
Team World defeated Team USA 121-112 on February 13, 2015.
Who was the 2015 Rising Stars MVP?
Andrew Wiggins of the Minnesota Timberwolves won MVP after scoring 22 points, grabbing six rebounds and recording four assists.
Where was the 2015 Rising Stars Challenge played?
The game took place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
What changed about the Rising Stars Challenge in 2015?
The NBA introduced a USA-versus-World format, replacing the previous drafted-team system.
Who led the game in rebounds?
Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz grabbed 12 rebounds for Team World.
Who led Team USA in scoring?
Zach LaVine and Victor Oladipo each scored 22 points.
How many points did Giannis Antetokounmpo score?
Antetokounmpo scored 12 points and added 10 rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocked shots.
Who coached the two teams?
Kenny Atkinson coached Team World, while Alvin Gentry coached Team USA.
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