In lieu of the most unique midseason festivities in the 70 years of the All-Star Game’s existence, the 70th annual All-Star Game didn’t disappoint (or did, your perspective) in Atlanta, Georgia’s State Farm Arena on TNT, as Team LeBron ended up sweeping Team Durant in all four quarters Sunday night and hitting the target score a little ahead of schedule via a score of 170-150.
Determined to pull off an exhibition that was primed to rake in television revenue for the league’s worldwide brand, the NBA scheduled the midseason classic in a quiet arena that’s sounds came from a little under 2,500 onlookers comprised of healthcare workers and other fans.
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Even with COVID-19 protocols being set in place, it couldn’t protect the entire gamut of All-Stars as both Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons would be held out of the contest due to contract tracing from being in close contact with a barber who tested positive for the virus. But as for the games, and the scheduled events crammed into the Sunday night, it all went according to plan. The team that 17-time All-Star LeBron James put together trampled Kevin Durant’s squad, and never let them grab a quarter in the usual offensive explosion of an All-Star Game.
The reigning league MVP made his fifth appearance in Sunday’s game and became the game’s Most Valuable Player for the first time in his career after taking 16 shots and proceeding to make all of those shots for a game-high 35 points. Damian Lillard had the second-highest scoring outing of 32 points off 11-20 shooting.
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Fresh off of winning his second Three-Point Contest, Stephen Curry had his greatest outing as an All-Star starter for his seventh time playing the game, scoring 28 points off 52.6 percent shooting from the field. For the entire night, it was a back and forth of one-ups between the likes of teammates Curry and Antetokounmpo, and both former League MVP’s pulled off consecutive incredible feats to one-up each other, but, with assumptions in play, the decision ultimately came down to Giannis not missing a shot.
The Greek Freak looked unstoppable putting his head down and going to the rim, but also drained a couple of threes to help make James (who spent more time admiring his selected team than actually playing in the game – he spent a total of 13 minutes and finished with four points) 4-0 in the current team captain vs. team captain format.
Opposing captain Kevin Durant wasn’t in the building, and as he nursed an injured hamstring at the break, Jayson Tatum from the Boston Celtics started on his behalf.
For this year’s edition of the NBA’s greatest showcase of talent, the contest used the Elam format for a second-straight time, since last season’s competition was so critically acclaimed. Team LeBron was up by 21 by the beginning of the fourth quarter, and following the scoring avalanche that began in the second quarter, they continued to pile it on and hit the target score of 170, which was 24 points more than the 146 points they had after three quarters. And of course, like what the name is awarded after, the 24 was in reference to the late, great, Kobe Bryant.
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In the game’s waning moments, the scoreboard may not have reflected the effort on both ends of the floor, but the scant defense exhibited in the game’s first three quarters went out of the window. And as a response to the paint being clogged up, Team LeBron picked their opponent apart from outside, relying on the three-ball and expeditiously scoring 10 quick points to open the fourth.
Team Durant tried to close what felt like an insurmountable gap with a 7-0 run with help from the likes of Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, Bradley Beal, and Kawhi Leonard, but the game would be sealed in Dame Time, as Damian Lillard would go on his own dominant 11-0 run that included a halfcourt pull-up that scored Team LeBron’s 170th point.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo hols up the trophy after basketball’s NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta. (Brynn Anderson/AP)
As a result of James’ team winning the game, Team LeBron earned a total of $750,000 for its charity, the Thurgood Marshall Foundation on a night highlighted by Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as all proceeds of Sunday’s action went towards the funding and financial support for these HBCUs across the country.
While scrunched as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the All-Star Game was still a massive celebration of one of the world’s most impassioned sports, and it was a time where not just the basketball world, but the sporting world converged to enjoy a great game between some of the world’s most gifted athletes.
Here’s hoping 2022 in Cleveland next year can return to a shroud of normalcy and the same excitement brought by the NBA’s yearly midseason classic.
Photo Cred: football24.news
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