Harrison Barnes and Team World beat Team Africa in the NBA Africa Game

Harrison Barnes and Team World beat Team Africa 96-92 in the 3rd NBA Africa Game. Joining Barnes on Team World was Hassan Whiteside, Javale McGee, Marvin Williams, Khris Middleton, Rudy Gay, John Collins, game MVP Danilo Gallinari and surprise guest former WNBA legend Swin Cash. Team Africa was led by Joel Embiid who was joined by Luol Deng, Evan Fournier, Bismack Biyombo, Serge Ibaka, Ian Mahinmi, Pascal Siakam, Al-Farouq Aminu, Cheick Diallo, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and surprise guest former WNBA player Clarisse Machanguana.

The game itself is just an exhibition but the week before the game is what is really important about the NBA Africa Game.

Here is Barnes talking about a house he was able to help rebuild for a woman in South Africa.

The game itself was interesting. Team Africa only carried one guard, Orlando’s Evan Fournier, and since Dennis Smith Jr. was unable to make the trip Barnes and Khris Middleton were the only guard-type players on Team World.

Barnes started off the game red hot hitting his first three attempts from behind the arc.

During a timeout some Jr. NBA participants got to come down on the floor and were given a chance to choose an NBA player to try and score against. To the amazement of the announcer this kid immediately shouts “JOEL EMBIID” into the mic. He surveyed the competition and picked out the biggest baddest guy out there. That’s guts.

We’ve seen Joel Embiid thrash some guys in pick up games before so there was no telling what he would do to this kid that just called him out.

But after a few swing passes that same kid nailed a jumper over Embiid to win 100,000 Rand (about $7,500) for the Nelson Mandela Foundation in front of Dikembe Mutombo who was supposed to be the referee but he didn’t have a whistle.

Embiid had a few moves of his own that he showed off though. This is a 7’2 guy dribbling behind the back into a step-back jumper and nailing it.

In the end some late game heroics from Gallinari sealed the win for Team World. Embiid and Aminu both had chances to win the game but would come up short.