Dosunmu stays within himself at Rising Stars event
Ayo Dosunmu's night didn't last long, but he handled himself well during the Rising Stars event on Friday in Cleveland.
The Bulls rookie guard contributed 5 points and 2 rebounds, took on the challenge of trying to defend No. 1 draft pick Cade Cunningham, but his Team Payton lost to Team Barry 50-48.
Dosunmu scored his points early on a driving lay-in and 3-pointer. Later in the game, his missed a jumper and 3-pointer. Team Payton missed a couple of 3-pointers that would have won the game, before LaMelo Ball hit 1 of 2 free throws to tie the score at 48-48.
On the next possession, Team Barry set a screen for Cunningham and he got it to Houston's Jae'Sean Tate, who hit an acrobatic driving scoop in traffic for the game-ender.
Minnesota power forward Jaden McDaniels led Team Payton with 12 points, while Denver's Bones Hyland scored 10 and Toronto's Scottie Barnes had 9. Dosunmu took the fewest shots among his team's starters.
Cunningham had a nice game in the semis with 13 points and 6 assists, while Cleveland's Evan Mobley also scored 13.
Dosunmu's Bulls all-star teammates DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine were both seated courtside. LaVine will be in the 3-point contest on Saturday night.
The NBA tried a new format for this All-Star Weekend event and it seemed to work well. Instead of a half-paced, dunk-filled game between rookie and sophomores, or USA vs. the World, this version featured four teams of seven players in a four-game tournament.
They also used the target-score ending. The semifinal games were first team to 50, while the championship was first to 25. Add those numbers to make 75 and this is the NBA's 75th anniversary.
Team Barry won the title by using a 13-2 run to rally for a 25-20 victory over Team Isiah. Cunningham drained a 3 to get to 24 points, then the game ended on a free throw by Orlando's Franz Wagner. Cunningham was named MVP.
Team Isiah nearly let a 10-point lead slip away in the first semifinal and survived only after Orlando's Jalen Suggs missed a free throw that would have won the game for Team Worthy. Houston's Jalen Green led all scorers with 20 points in the opening contest.
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