Suns Rookie Wins Rising Stars Championship

PHOENIX -- Phoenix Suns rookie forward Ryan Dunn showed off his skills in the Rising Stars tournament, and his team won the championship, advancing to the All-Star Game tournament Sunday.

The format for Rising Stars this year was a four-team, single-elimination tournament with the winner moving onto a spot in the first-time four-team tournament for Sunday's All-Star Game.

For the Rising Stars tournament, a combination of 24 first- and second-year players were drafted into three teams by NBA legends Chris Mullin (Team C), Mitch Richmond (Team M) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (Team T) with the fourth team comprised of G League players (Team G League).

Dunn, the Suns' first Rising Stars selection since Deandre Ayton in 2020, was drafted by Mullin to be part of Team C alongside Stephon Castle, Zach Edey, Keyonte George, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Dalton Knecht and Jaylen Wells.

Team C ended up defeating Team G League in the championship. They will play Shaq's OGs in the semifinals Sunday, which feature Dunn's Suns teammate Kevin Durant.

Dunn combined to have five points, three assists, two rebounds and a block in both Rising Stars games.

Here's a breakdown of Dunn's performance in both games:

Semifinals

The semifinals were played to a target score 40 points. Team C took on Tim T in the first round.

Dunn checked in for the first time with Team C up 13-4. On his first possession, he got an assist after he found Knecht on a cut to the rim. A few possessions later, Dunn mishandled an alley-oop finish but came down with the ball and made a layup to make it 21-10.

Later, Dunn assisted Jackson-Davis for a dunk to give Team C a 27-21 lead. He then picked up another assist to Jackson-Davis on a fastbreak to go ahead 31-24. Dunn was subbed out for the rest of the first game after this, but Team C was able to pick up a 40-34 semifinal victory after a mid-range jumper by Castle to win the game.

Dunn finished the semis with two points and three assists.

pic.twitter.com/XUYwAxOLss
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 15, 2025

Championship

The championship was played to 25 points, and Dunn's Team C faced off against Team G League after they surprisingly upset Team M.

Dunn checked into the game with Team C trailing 12-8. His first shot attempt, a corner 3-pointer, was blocked.

He then put Team C in front 13-12 after splashing a 3-pointer from the wing. This was Team C's first 3-pointer of the game.

Letting it fly 👌 pic.twitter.com/1La8EjyRva
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 15, 2025

After this moment, Team C cruised to a 25-14 victory, capped off by a George 3, meaning they won Dunn's minutes 17-2.

Dunn ended the championship with three points, two rebounds and a block in four minutes. Castle won MVP after recording 12 points and three rebounds in the championship.