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Kenneth Faried of the Denver Nuggets broke a NBA Rising Stars Challenge scoring record by scoring 40 points for Team Chuck in a 163-135 win over Team Shaq Friday. Faried, who was named the game's MVP, also put on a dunking display prior to his appearance in Saturday's Slam Dunk Contest.
Faried is known for his athleticism, but he's also known for making hustle plays. He was often the only player on the court making any effort to make plays on defense during Friday's game, contesting virtually every shot, even trying to block a few dunks.
"We didn't wanna come home with no loss," Faried told TNT's Craig Sager after the game. "I'm out there to have fun and enjoy myself."
Faried also told Sager that his dunking performance was just 'a sneak preview' for Saturday, when he plans to unveil even more flashy dunks.
Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who will play in Sunday's All-Star Game as well, led Team Shaq with 32 points. Irving had several ball-handling highlights, including a cross-over and jumper in the fourth quarter that spun defender Brandon Knight into the ground.