Did you see this one?
While Cleveland rookie Kyrie Irving delivered an MVP performance featuring his near-perfect shooting in Friday's Rising Stars game that kicked off All-Star weekend, Timberwolves rookie dazzled with his usual bag of unusual tricks, including the above bit of trickery in which he dribbled the ball through big DeMarcus Cousins' legs and then when he cleared the Sacramento center on the side lobbed the ball to Blake Griffin for a dunk.
He also provided another exhibition in behind-the-back and no-look passes and around-the-waist, ball-handling dribble drives even though his Team Shaq lost to Irving, teammate Derrick Williams and Team Chuck 146-133 at Amway Center.
HIs 12 points and 7 assists didn't compare to Irving's 34-point, but it sure did have its highlights: A behind-the-back bounce pass on the break to Phoenix's Markieff Morris for a running slam, a nifty pass fake he turned into a layup and his answer to Derrick Williams' only points of the night, a slam set up by John Wall: Williams' dunk was no sooner through the net than Rubio grabbed it and heaved an inbounds pass the length of the court nearly discus style to Griffin, who threw it off the backboard to himself for a slam that trumped Williams' slam.
You can find video of both Rubio and Williams talking about their nights right here on an evening that seemed to lack the intensity of the former rookie-sophomore game.
And that's saying something, isn't it?
That's it for tonight from Orlando.
I'll be back tomorrow with All-Star Saturday night that will feature Kevin Love in the three-point dunk and Williams in the dunk contest.
