Sixers

World Domination: NBA Rising Stars Challenge

By Russ Joy

Published: Feb 17th, 2018 · 12:13 PM EST

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NBA All-Star Weekend got off to a great start Friday night, as the World defeated the USA 155-124 in the 2018 NBA Rising Stars Challenge. In a game that eventually devolved into an impromptu dunk contest (see videos below), the World team – led by Ben Simmons, Dario Saric, and Joel Embiid – showed out.

Let’s start with this year’s frontrunner for Rookie of the Year: Ben Simmons.

With six triple-doubles already to his credit this season, Ben Simmons is on track to eclipse Magic Johnson’s rookie record for triple-doubles in a single season (7) set in 1979-80. While he fell short in rebounds last night, Simmons put on a show and nearly notched a triple-double.

Ben Simmons finishes with 11 PTS, 13 AST, 6 REB in tonight's #KickstartRisingStars game! pic.twitter.com/Q2CnCZP87a

— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2018

As I brought up on Friday’s Crossing Broadcast, Simmons’ omission from the All-Star game in favor of Goran Dragic is at best an oversight and at worst a criminal act perpetrated by known Sam Hinkie hater Adam Silver.

https://art19.com/shows/crossing-broadcast/episodes/b3d275a3-6c59-4270-b7a2-7bd5d6b8726b

Luckily, it’s not just me beating this drum.

A member of the Australian House of Representatives is outraged that Ben Simmons is not an all-star. Here's his epic rant: pic.twitter.com/PVeoGhILgl

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 7, 2018

While national media pundits continue to push a counter-narrative that Donovan Mitchell is the more-deserving candidate for Rookie of the Year, it appears that Ben attempted to take out his competition. Poor Buddy Hield never saw it coming.

Highlights after the jump:

Ben Simmons Blocks A Shot After The Whistle & Almost Hits Donovan Mitchell & Buddy Hield pic.twitter.com/jr7HL4PEaR

— Gustavo (@iamvega1982) February 17, 2018

Dario Saric contributed 18 points to the winning cause, including going 4-7 from beyond the arc, and dished out 5 assists. One could say he really… raised the roof.

#NBAAllStar Weekend is underway and it’s safe to say @dariosaric is excited. 🙌🏼🙌🏼 https://t.co/mqiEZTqogZ

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 16, 2018

Rounding out the Sixers’ trio, Joel Embiid made his presence felt on the defensive end. While he only played 9 minutes in the game, Embiid left announcer Kevin Harlan screaming on this move:

Embiid with the spin & slam in the #KickstartRisingStars gamepic.twitter.com/BZ2sKSO5ru

— Michael K-B (@therealmikekb) February 17, 2018

As I alluded to in the beginning, any semblance of defense dissipated in the final two minutes.

Good grief… pic.twitter.com/GM0skMq98s

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 17, 2018

If you’re looking for all of the highlight dunks, look no further:

Throwing it down… #KickstartRisingStars! pic.twitter.com/7LwZtGtmUo

— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2018

What’s next for the Sixers? Embiid will be participating in tonight’s All-Star Skills Challenge at 8 PM on TNT and, of course, the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night at 8 PM on TNT. If you can’t wait that long, you might be able to catch some Process action as part of Team Stephen’s practice, likely starting this afternoon around 3 PM on NBA TV.