San Antonio Star Named NBA Rookie of the Year
San Antonio Spurs point guard Stephon Castle has been named the NBA Rookie of the Year for this season, following in the footsteps of his French teammate Victor Wembanyama, who earned the same honor last year.
The 20-year-old Castle received the “Legend” Wilt Chamberlain Trophy after an outstanding debut season in which he averaged 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He also led all rookies in total points (1,190), steals (74), and free throws made (249). However, the Spurs finished 13th in the Western Conference with a 34–48 record, falling short of the playoffs.
Castle edged out French forward Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks—this year’s top draft pick—and Memphis Grizzlies guard Jaylen Wells.
Selected fourth overall in the rookie draft, Castle became the fourth Spurs player to win the award, joining Wembanyama, Tim Duncan, and David Robinson. “I’m ready to take on this responsibility. It was a goal for me, and I’m happy to have achieved it,” he said.
Pacers and Celtics Reach Eastern Conference Semifinals
On the court, both the Indiana Pacers and the Boston Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals after wrapping up their first-round series with wins over the Milwaukee Bucks (119–118 in overtime) and the Orlando Magic (120–89), respectively.
In Indianapolis, the Pacers overcame a 20-point deficit and rallied again in overtime to defeat the Bucks for the second straight game, clinching the series 4–1.
Also in the Eastern Conference, defending champions Boston joined Indiana and the Cleveland Cavaliers—who previously eliminated the Miami Heat—by closing out their series against the Magic 4–1. The Celtics’ victory was powered by Jayson Tatum’s 35 points and Jaylen Brown’s 23.
The Pacers will now face the Cavaliers in the semifinals, after staging a dramatic comeback from a 111–118 deficit with 40 seconds left in overtime. Indiana closed the game on an 8–0 run, capped by a game-winning basket from Tyrese Haliburton with 1.3 seconds remaining.
A costly mistake by Milwaukee’s Gary Trent Jr., who mishandled a pass, gave Haliburton the opportunity to score the decisive basket. Haliburton finished the game with 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists, while Myles Turner added 21 points, and Aaron Nesmith contributed 19 points and 12 rebounds.
On the other side, Trent Jr. was Milwaukee’s top scorer with 33 points, followed by Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo with 30, in the absence of Damian Lillard, whose season ended after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in Game 4 on Sunday.
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