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Team Melo punched the first ticket to the Rising Stars final Friday night, riding big plays from Donovan Clingan and Reed Sheppard to a 40–34 win over Team Austin in the tournament opener.

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Coached by Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony, Team Melo weathered an early push from Team Austin, led by Austin Rivers. After Austin struck first, Clingan ignited a 10–2 surge with seven straight points, setting the tone in the race-to-40 format.

The game quickly turned into a back-and-forth shootout. Team Austin found rhythm behind the frontcourt duo of Yang Hansen and Niedhauser, briefly reclaiming the lead. But Sheppard swung the momentum with back-to-back triples, and on the decisive possession, Dylan Harper drilled a contested mid-range jumper to seal it.

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Clingan and Sheppard finished with nine points apiece to pace Team Melo. Niedhauser led all scorers with 11 in defeat, while Yang added 10 points and two boards.

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Team Melo now advances to the championship round, awaiting the winner between Team Vince, coached by Vince Carter, and Team T-Mac, led by Tracy McGrady.