It is secure to say the lights weren’t too vivid for Gradey Dick on Friday night time.
The Toronto Raptors‘ sophomore guard balled out for Group T in Recreation 1 of the Rising Stars event at NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco. Whereas his squad fell to Group C by a rating of 40-34, Dick completed with a game-high 12 factors on five-of-seven taking pictures from the sector.
Beforehand, the 21-year-old talked about how he and his dad made it considered one of his objectives this season to be chosen as a Rising Stars participant, and when given the chance, he didn’t disappoint.
Dick scored the primary two baskets of the sport for Tim Hardaway’s squad on back-to-back acrobatic layups. Then, a couple of performs later, he nailed his first of two triples on the night time — clearly the new hand on his squad to start out, scoring seven of Group T’s first 10 factors.
His ultimate basket of the sport helped reduce Group T’s deficit to simply 5 factors, curling off a display and splashing a pull-up triple from the correct wing. That was as shut as Group T acquired, nonetheless, as a few clutch buckets from Grizzlies guard Jaylen Wells gave Group C sufficient respiratory room earlier than Spurs rookie Stephon Fort iced the sport with a jumper from the correct elbow.
Keyonte George led Group C within the win with 10 factors on three-of-five taking pictures with two made threes. The squad, coached by Warriors legend Chris Mullin, superior to the Rising Stars championship recreation to tackle Group G League (who superior by upsetting Group M).
Dick made the many of the alternative and was rightfully rewarded for it. The sophomore led his squad and the sport in scoring and in addition led Group T in minutes performed. The one factor he wasn’t capable of do was recreate his favourite moment in All-Star weekend historical past, Vince Carter’s iconic 360 windmill slam from the 2000 dunk contest that was not-so-coincidentally held within the Bay Space 25 years in the past.
Regardless of that, the rising star’s first style of NBA All-Star weekend was nonetheless profitable.
Dick will certainly hope his success on Friday night time will translate for the second half of his season. He is performed 48 video games for Toronto this 12 months, averaging 15 factors, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists whereas taking pictures 34.5 per cent from past the arc. He ranks fourth amongst all sophomores for scoring and three-pointers made per recreation.
Toronto drafted the guard with the No. 13 total choose within the 2023 NBA Draft out of Kansas College.
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