Murray, World Team Take Rising Stars Challenge
(New Orleans, LA) — Nuggets guard Jamal Murray piled up 36 points in 20 minutes to lead the World team past the American squad, 150-141, in the NBA Rising Stars Challenge in New Orleans. Pelicans guard Buddy Hield scored 28 points in front of his home crowd. Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis added 24 points and 10 boards. Frank Kaminsky the Third led Team USA with 33 points in defeat. Karl-Anthony Towns scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
NBA impersonator and social media star Brandon Armstrong won the Most Valuable Player of the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, finishing with 16 points and 15 rebounds as the East beat the West 88-59. Win Butler from rock band Arcade Fire finished with 22 points and 11 boards in an easy win for the East. NBA All-Star Weekend continues Saturday night with the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, the JBL Three-Point Contest, and the Verizon Slam Dunk Contest. The All-Star Game tips off on Sunday evening.
Blue Jackets Top Penguins In Overtime
(Columbus, OH) — Brandon Dubinsky’s goal 64 seconds into overtime lifted the Blue Jackets to a 2-1 victory over the Penguins at Columbus. Sergei Bobrovsky rejected 38 Pittsburgh shots. Ryan Murray scored the initial Columbus goal. The Blue Jackets won for the third time in four games. Ian Cole had the Penguins goal. Pittsburgh is 6-0-and 3 in its past nine games.
Avalanche Down Hurricanes
(Raleigh, NC) — Mikko Rantanen scored the winning goal 37 seconds left in overtime as the Avalanche downed the Hurricanes, 2-1, in Raleigh. Tyson Barrie scored in the first period for Colorado, which ended a five-game slide. Calvin Pickard racked up 28 saves in the win. Jeff Skinner lit the lamp for the Hurricanes in the first. Carolina’s losing streak is up to three games.
Panthers Shut Down Ducks
(Anaheim, CA) — The Panthers scored three second-period goals as they shut down the Ducks, 4-1, in Anaheim. Colton Sceviour started the scoring for Florida in the second, followed by goals from Jaromir Jagr and Aaron Ekblad. Derek MacKenzie iced the cake in third as the Panthers won their sixth game in seven tries. James Reimer made 35 saves in the win. Andrew Cogliano scored a short-handed goal for Anaheim before the offense went cold. The Ducks have alternated losses and wins for the past five games.