Kuzma nets 35, leads Team USA past Team World

[February 16, 2019]  CHARLOTTE -- Offense ruled the day and Team USA won the Rising Stars game over Team World, 161-144, Friday night at Spectrum Center in the opening competition of All-Star Weekend.

Lakers guard Kyle Kuzma was named MVP of a game that was played at a dizzying speed, the 24-second shot clock rarely ticking to 16 before the ball went up.

Kuzma scored a game-high 35 points and had six rebounds, while Celtics forward Jayson Tatum added 30 for Team USA. Kuzma was 15 of 27 from the field in 22 minutes.

"I played in this game last year and was really lackadaisical. I didn't want to do that again," Kuzma said.

His teammates were impressed.

"He definitely showed out tonight. Without his 35 we probably lose," Hawks guard Trae Young said.

The annual exhibition game features players in their first and second seasons in the league.

Team USA went up on the World team 132-121 with 7:35 left on Young's second 3-pointer in as many possessions, and Knicks rookie Kevin Knox flushed a two-handed jam off a Young behind-the-back dish 13 seconds later to build a 134-121 edge.

Timberwolves forward Josh Okogie's three-point play for the World made it a two-possession game with 6:17 to go.

The breakneck, video-game pace might have been blinding for basketball purists, with a turntable active for all 40 minutes and a modest level of defense applied -- even by All-Star Weekend standards. No free throws were attempted in the first half.

"As you can see, not much defense, guys just want to get up and play," World guard Ben Simmons said. "It's good to get out there and just get up and down with guys you don't normally go up and down with."

Simmons led the World with 28 points, hitting 14 of his 17 shots.

Jazz forward Donovan Mitchell made the game's first free throw with 2:30 left in the third quarter to complete the and-1 play.

The only serious defensive challenge at the rim resulted in an emphatic rejection by Brooklyn Nets forward Jarrett Allen of the U.S. squad when Simmons attacked in the paint.

Team USA led 83-71 at halftime, shooting 62.1 percent from the field.

"It's tough in these types of games and environments to manage how to have fun and compete," Young said, noting Team USA was driven to snap a two-game losing streak to Team World.

Kuzma and Tatum combined for 39 points in the first half.

--By Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media

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