Zach LaVine shines as Team USA bests Team World

Minnesota Timberwolves sophomore Zach LaVine scored 30 points and added seven rebounds to lead Team USA to a 157-154 win over Team World in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday.

LaVine's Timberwolves teammate Andrew Wiggins had 29 points on 13-of-15 shooting in his hometown before a decidedly Team World crowd in the loss.

As usual, the Rising Stars Challenge essentially amounted to an open scrimmage with little defense. Save for the occasional block, the showcase was mostly punctuated by breathtaking dunks against minimal resistance.

LaVine, the reigning Slam Dunk contest champion, was front and center as he threw down five dunks - including a slick reverse two-hander - to finish as his team's leading scorer.

Team USA also saw Jordan Clarkson, D'Angelo Russell, and Devin Booker finish with 25, 22, and 23 points respectively in the win.

As for Team World, Wiggins doubled LaVine's dunk total with 10 flushes in a game-high 29 minutes. He was flanked by Kristaps Porzingis and Emmanuel Mudiay, who had 30 points apiece in the loss.

Porzingis, however, made a costly rookie mistake that essentially sealed Team World's fate. He intentionally fouled Clarkson with 34 seconds left despite his team trailing by just three points. A stop would have presumably given Team World a chance to tie, but instead Clarkson drained both freebies to secure the result.

LaVine was named MVP after the game, taking the title from Wiggins, who won it in last year's event. If the trend continues, their teammate Karl-Anthony Towns will be next in line to wear the crown.