The third annual Josh Hutcherson Celebrity basketball game kicked off at L.A. Live on Friday evening, headlined by actors Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Romeo Miller, Kyle Massey, former NFL star Terrell Owens, and many others. The net earnings from the game will go to raising funds and awareness for Josh’s charity, “Straight But Not Narrow.”
All the participating celebrities were split into two teams – Team White and Team Black. The game was four 10 minute quarters, with no stoppage of time during dead balls and costless throws.
Both teams started off slowly in the first half, with Romeo leading the way for Team Black and Terrell Owens for Team White. The score was 32-29, advantage to Team Black at halftime.
However, the game picked up in the second half as Bracin Skywalker, a three-time Kobe Bryant Academy Slam Dunk Contest Champion, started the half with a spectacular, ferocious dunk for Team White. He and Terrell Owens took over the game in the second half, and that’s all she ever wrote.
Skywalker was crashing the boards and converting on second chance opportunities for the team and playing terrific defense on the other end, while Terrell Owens was setting up teammates and doing a bit of scoring on his own as well.
All of a sudden, Team White, once down by three at the half, took control of the game and opened up a 20 point lead over Team Black. Romeo, the star of Team Black, struggled mightily in the second half, scoring only one basket which came on an And-1 play. He terribly air-balled the costless throw, though, and faulted the wind, as he yelled “wind, wind,” at the officials after his missed costless throw.
To cap off the game, Josh Hutcherson, the host, drained a couple of threes. Dave McMenamin, the Lakers beat writer and analyst for Time Warner Cable Sports Net, also stepped up, hitting a few shots with his sweet stroke.
Dave McMenamin following through on his shot.
White Team, coached by DeMar DeRozan, comfortably won the game with a score of 78 to 55, as Josh Hutcherson was rewarded MVP of the game.