The Sports Informant

By Scott Levin
Sports Informant Contributing Writer

Tyreke Evans and Omri Casspi showed why the future of the Sacramento Kings is so bright. And in the process, they brought the Kings one step closer to NBA relevance.

Evans set the tone early in Friday’s T-Mobile Rookie Challenge, and when all was said and done, he had earned MVP honors for leading the Rookies to a 140-128 win. The Kings guard finished with 26 points, but even more impressive was how he handled himself after the game.

Tyreke Evans, No. 13, earned MVP honors in the rookie-sophomore game, while playing alongside teammate Omri Casspi, left. (Photo courtesy Tom Paniagua)

After being named MVP, Evans immediately deflected praise to his teammate DeJuan Blair, going so far as to share the MVP award with the Spurs rookie who totaled 22 points and 23 rebounds.

“He started getting the rebounds for us. He did what he said he was going to do,” said Evans. “That’s why I wanted to share the trophy with him.”

The Kings other rookie was no slouch. Casspi started alongside Evans and finished with 13 points and five rebounds. Casspi had one of the game’s first explosive plays, as he threw down a vicious left-handed dunk in the game’s early moments.

The win was the Rookies first over the Sophomores in the eight years. Second-year Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook led all scorers with 40 points.

The game belonged to the Rookies from start to finish. The team’s quick guards proved to be too much for the larger Sophomore squad. Evans and Casspi combined for 22 first-half points to help the Rookies to a 12-point halftime lead.

The trend continued in the second-half, as the Rookies kept up as the Sophomores turned up the heat. The only question late in the game was whether Blair would reach the 20-20 plateau. After accomplishing the feat in the final seconds, the Spurs big man was mobbed by his rookie teammates.

But Evans early game efforts stuck out in the minds of the voting audience. He attacked the rim just as he has all season with Sacramento. The only hope is next year Evans is showcasing his skills on the ultimate stage — in Sunday’s All-Star game.

Sacramento Kings – Rookie Game Stat Lines

Tyreke Evans – 26 points (11-15 FG, 4-5 FT), six rebounds, five assists, five steals

Omri Casspi – 13 points (5-14 FG, 3-4 FT), five rebounds, three assists, one steal