He wasn’t the highest flyer in the game but Eric Paschall showed out at the NBA Rising Stars, scoring 23 points for Team USA in a 151-131 win over Team World on Friday.
A game made up of 10 first and second-year U.S. born players against 10 international rookie and sophomore players, Paschall led the American squad in scoring while also tallying three rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Charlotte sophomore forward Miles Bridges took home the game’s MVP honors, scoring 13 of his 20 points in a third quarter in which Team USA took complete control of the game. The American squad won the third quarter 44-24 and they extended on their advantage in the fourth quarter before the game turned into a makeshift dunk contest in the final minutes.
The Knicks’ RJ Barrett had 27 points for the international team to lead all scorers, but the American squad had three players off the bench with 20-plus points (Paschall 23, Collin Sexton 21, Bridges 20) – along with 18 points from Trae Young and 14 from rookie Zion Williamson.
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Paschall scored two points in the opening period and then really started to impact the game in the second quarter, throwing down a dunk on the first possession of the period. He then knocked down his only 3-point attempt of the game on the way to a nine-point period. In the second half, Paschall scored 12 points, mixing in jump shots with drives to the basket capped with finishes above and below the rim. He shot 10-for-13 from the floor and finished with the game’s highest shooting percentage (77 percent) among players with at least five made field goals.
Prior to the game, Paschall got to participate in other All-Star Weekend activities, including the media circus that led up to the entire event. From describing his “Welcome to the NBA” moment to making his pick for the Dunk Contest, he answered a wide range of questions from members earlier on Friday.
