Wall named MVP in rookie's win of All-Star Rookie Challenge
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| File photo: John Wall |
John Wall was chosen as the Most Valued player at the NBA All-Star Rookie Challenge on Friday by handing out 22 assists and collecting 12 points in Rookie's 148-140 victory over Sophomore.
DeMarcus Cousins from Sacramento Kings scored game high 33 points and added 14 rebounds. The 33 points tied him for the fourth-most points in Rookie Challenge history.
Rookie LeBron James scored 33 points in 2004. Sophore Daniel Gibson scored 33 points in 2008. Sophomore Kevin Durant set the record with 46 points in 2008 and sophomore Russell Westbrook scored 40 points in 2010. Sophomore Amar'e Stoudemire had 36 points in 2004.
Washington's Wall created a record with 22 assists, which broke the record of 12, set by sophomore Chris Paul in 2007.
There were a total of five MVP votes -- four media and one fan vote. Wall received three votes against Cousins' one vote. There was a co-MVP for Wall and Cousins, who were teammates at Kentucky in 2009-2010, which won the NCAA championship.
"I was keeping track before the game. I asked what the assist record was and before the game my team was telling me I was four away or five away. But we were just trying to get the win," Wall said of the record-breaking assists.
"DeMarcus' game matured a lot. We talked a whole lot and try to keep each other on the right path," Wall commented about his former teammate.
"He's all been that talent, just if he's motivated to play. He plays aggressive and people take how you play aggressively the wrong way sometimes. You can see when he gets his head on straight, he can't be stopped really."
The locals favorite All-Star Blake Griffin bounced back from an elbow to the nose to score 14 points for the rookies, but the Clippers' young superstar watched his team's late surge from the bench despite thousands of children in the Staples Center crowd chanting "We want Blake."
Los Angeles native James Harden scored 30 points and San Antonio's DeJuan Blair had 28 points and 15 rebounds for the sophomores.
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