2025 All-Star

Nightly Pulse: NBA News & Highlights from Feb. 14

Don't miss any must-see moments as the 2025 All-Star Weekend officially begins in San Francisco, California.

NBA.com Staff

All-Star Weekend Begins 🌟🏀

Tonight, a new era in NBA All-Star weekend tips off, featuring the league’s shift to a tournament-based format. The festivities begin with one constant, however, that being the Ruffle’s All-Star Celebrity Game. The Castrol Rising Stars games will be tonight’s main event, with the winning team advancing to Sunday’s bracket.

  • Ruffle’s All-Star Celebrity Game – 7P ET
  • Castrol Rising Stars Tournament – 9P ET

🏆 Rising Stars MVP: Stephon Castle 

It’s quickly becoming a breakout weekend for the 3rd overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Castle guided Team C to wins in both rounds by doing whatever was needed to win. We saw shooting touch, ball handling, defense and the winning spirit that’s followed him since his days at Uconn.

He’ll have to shift gears and channel his showmanship for All-Star Saturday Night, however, as he’ll be competing in the Slam Dunk Contest. On Sunday, he’ll be competing with his Spurs teammate Victor Wembanyama for the title of All-Star Tournament Champions. Stephon Castle will be the only player participating in all three nights of All-Star Weekend.

Ticket Punched 🎟️

Chris Mullin’s squad executed a 17-2 run to close out the G-League representatives and claim their spot in the All-Star tournament on Sunday. Stephon Castle, Dalton Knecht and Keyonte George all shined in the final round. Castle showcased his slashing ability, Knecht displayed his knack for shotmaking, and George played the combo-guard role he’s thrived in for the Jazz.

With Trayce Jackson-Davis, Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells also on the roster, this group has versatility that can present an interesting test for the All-Stars they’ll meet. Candace Parker will serve as the Rising Stars Head Coach on Sunday.

Team C is closing in on the win, as they are just three points away from the target score of 25. Dalton Knecht has put in the last five points for his squad, while Stephon Castle has gotten to the rack consistently and added some free throws as well.

The Finals are Underway

Team G League is looking to punch their ticket to All-Star Sunday, but they;ll have to go throughh Team C led by Stephon Castle, Keyonte George and Zach Edey. Having defied the odds already, there’s no question Team G-League believes they can win. They grab a 12-8 lead at the first timeout of the final round. Points are at a premium at this round, as the target score is only 25 points, opposed to 40 in the semi-final rounds.

Don’t Call it an Upset!

The G-League select team capitalized on five consecutive missed free throws by Team M to pull off the 40-39 win. Bryce McGowens led his team in scoring and drilled the contested three-pointer to pull off the comeback win. It was a very fun contest with nine lead changes.

Ausar Thompson’s empty trips to the free throw line with the target score within reach left the door open for Team G-League, who will be advancing to the Finals and vying for a spot on All-Star Sunday.

Race to 40 🏁

We are in crunch time of this semi-final matchup, as Team G League leads 30-29. The first team to reach 40 points advances to the final round where they’ll meet Team C. Dink Pate delivered this putback dunk highlight midway through the contest.

G-League Came to Play 👀

Team G-League is showing that they’re a force to be reckoned with. After taking a 15-11 lead, they forced the first timeout of the second semi-final game. Leonard Miller, JD Davison and Mac McClung lead the roster facing off against Team M, which is headlined by the Thompson twins.

Castle Waves Goodbye 👋

Stephon Castle is setting himself up for a busy All-Star Weekend. He is already in tomorrow night’s Slam Dunk Contest, and he’s one step closer to participating on Sunday after hitting the game-winning shot over Alex Sarr.

Keyonte George, Zach Edey and Trayce Jackson-Davis also shined in the win for Team C, ending the run for Tim Hardaway Sr.’s group.

Back & Forth Early

Team C took a convincing lead early, going up 15-5 and forcing a timeout from the opposing bench. Coach Hardaway’s squad returned with an impressive run of their own, cutting the lead to just four and forcing Team Mullin to call timeout. Play resumes with a score of 25-21 and a target score of 40 points.

Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George connected with Warriors big man Trayce Jackson-Davis for the skyscraping alley-oop, bringing Jackson-Davis’ hometown fans to their feet.

Semi-Finals Underway 🍿

First up in the Rising Stars tournament, former teammates go head-to-head with Team Chris Mullin vs. Team Hardaway. A pair of top-10 picks from this year’s rookie class headline Mullin’s roster in Stephon Castle and Zach Edey.

The top two picks from this class will join forces on Team Hardaway, with Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr teaming up. Sophomore standouts Gradey Dick and Jaime Jaquez Jr. bring All-Star experience to this roster as well.

Team Bonds Victorious 👏

Team Barry Bonds would not be denied tonight, winning 66-55 over Team Rice. Actor Rome Flynn took home the MVP honors. Here’s some of his top plays on the night.

One of the best rookies in the WNBA last season, Rickea Jackson, had a good showing with 16 points.

🏅 Olympian Windmill 😳

Shelby Mcewan stole the show with his second dunk of the night, a picturesque windmill slam. He showed why that his hops translate from the track to the court. Mcewan earned a silver medal in the high jump at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Kai Cenat finally got his first points of the night, after seeing little time on the court. The celebration was short-lived, as he would have to enter the penalty box soon after for committing a foul in the 3rd quarter.

🩼 Man Down 😂

Druski’s been leaving it all on the court tonight, but his team is still trailing in the second half. Team Bonds has knocked down a pair of four-pointers to really stretch their lead. The score is 47-35 at the end of the third quarter.

📸 Lights. Camera. Action 🎬

The stars are in the building for tonight’s Celebrity All-Star Game. This backstage interaction between Druski and Kai Cenat is a foreshadowing of a plethora of viral moments that will take place on the court tonight. The two internet sensations often stream together, but they’ll be opponents tonight. Cenat played in last year’s game while Druski will be making his debut.

Here are the rest of the celebs and athletes lacing up their shoes for this one.

The rosters are full of recognizable names. Among them, Grammy-nominated artist Shaboozey who’s teaming up with the likes of Lethal Shooter and WWE Superstar Bayley. On the other side, a couple of professional ballers such as Baron Davis and the WNBA’s Allisha Gray.

Two Bay Area sports legends will be on the sidelines in Barry Bonds and Jerry Rice.

Raising the Stakes 📶

Traditionally, the Rising Stars serve as the All-Star Weekend appetizer, but that’s not the case this year. The team that emerges on top will be competing on Sunday with the rest of the NBA All-Stars. The four-team tournament format that will play out on Sunday, will make its debut with the Rising Stars.

There will be two rounds tonight, with the ultimate winner earning the Rising Stars nod on All-Star Sunday. A combination of 21 NBA Rookies and Sophomores will be spread across three teams, with the fourth team comprised of G-League standouts. Check out the full rosters below.

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