Josh Giddey knocked out in round one, second in shooting competition

The NBA All-Star Weekend is underway in Cleveland, Ohio as NBA Friday Night sets the stage for the larger events on Saturday and Sunday. The league sent the youngsters out first, front and center in the rising stars challenge which followed the NBA Celebrity game. Josh Giddey would be first up on team Worthy to lead off the event before taking place in the clutch shooting challenge with his partner, Evan Mobley.

The new Rising Stars format is their best iteration yet. From USA vs World young prospects, Rookies vs Sophomores, the four teams coached by NBA legends with a target score of 50 in the first round, then 25 in the championship round made for a fun event vs a full-game that had more than a few lulls.

Josh Giddey’s Team Worthy squad featured Jalen Suggs, Jalen Green, Cole Anthony, among other rising stars though that was the core of the squad and their first run in was against Team Isaiah, the favorites in the event to win. The Oklahoma City Thunder rookie got off to a great start, grabbing two rebounds and dishing an assist in the early going.

Giddey had a crazy full-court inbound to Suggs for a slam and hit a long two in this game. The OKC Thunder rookie that is riding a streak of three straight triple-doubles, four total on his rookie campaign, logged nine rebounds, six assists to go along with his two points.

After Team Worthy was knocked out in the first round, Josh Giddey teamed up with Evan Mobley for a clutch shooting challenge where the duo had to compete against other rising star pairings to recreate historic shots in NBA history. Giddey and Mobley finished second in the competition.

Up Next, Josh Giddey will take place in the NBA Skills Competition competing on the same team as his fellow rookies Scottie Barnes, and Cade Cunningham. They will face off with the Cavs squad of Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Darius Garland. The third and final team of three for the Taco Bell sponsored relay race which will set the stage for the Three-point and Dunk contests is the Antetokounmpo Brothers, a team of Giannis, Alex, and Thanasis.  That will conclude Giddey’s NBA All-Star Weekend, something he calls a “great environment to be in.”