Washington Wizards rookie shooting guard Bradley Beal scored 12 points Friday in a lopsided 163-135 "Team Chuck" victory over "Team Shaq." Beal locked in as one of nine "Team Chuck" players to achieve double-digits in scoring, none more impressive than Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried, who led Team Chuck with a game-high 40 points on a near-perfect 18-for-22 night.
With a 90-66 halftime lead--punctuated by a Beal slam dunk with 3.7 seconds left til the quarter-less break--Team Chuck cruised through the final half of play. Faried, who would finish with a 40 point, 10 rebound double-double, walked away with 19 first half points. He played the two-half exhibition as if he never left Morehead State, where he averaged 17.3 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in his senior year.
Faried's success from short range helped Team Chuck destroy from deep. They went 12-for-18 from behind the arc over the first half alone, a plus-seven in makes over Team Shaq. Beal finished 1-for-2 from range on a 5-for-10 from the field night.
While Team Chuck had no problem landing shots, Wizards Assistant Coach Sam Cassell had trouble beating the clock. Cassell and "Team Harden" fell short of "Team Westbrook" Saturday in the Sears Shooting Stars, yet not by much. Team Harden spent about eight and a half more seconds than Team Westbrook did while completing the drills, but even though Team Harden out performed the other two teams in the running--"Team Bosh" and "Team Lopez"--the new, West-East format required one team from each "coast" to advance. As a result, "Smooth Sam" had to take an early seat.
The 2013 NBA All-Star Game will air tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET (TNT). The Wizards will resume action at the Verizon Center Tuesday as they host the Toronto Raptors (7:00 p.m. ET, CSN).
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