Team LeBron easily came away with a victory over Team Durant 170-150 despite LeBron James sitting out the entire second half.
The first quarter was by far the most interesting because both teams wanted to make their presence felt. Team LeBron led 40-39 at the end of the opening quarter led by Stephen Curry’s 12 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 15 points.
The second quarter is when Team LeBron made a statement on why they were the better team. They managed to score 60 points in the quarter alone. They went on a 21-2 run to end the quarter. Damian Lillard hit a long, 30-plus foot, three-pointer. His teammate, Curry, followed his lead and made a 30-plus footer of his own before the quarter ended.
Giannis was Mr. Perfect in the All-Star game from start to finish. He went 16-for-16 from the field (only player to shoot 100 percent from the field in All-Star history) and scored a game high, 35 points. He would go on to win the All-Star game MVP for the first time in his All-Star career.
Curry finished the game was 28 points, and Lillard finished the game with 32 points of his own. It was “Dame Time” for Team LeBron as Lillard hit a half-court shot to win the game and seal his team’s victory. Team Lebron (4-0) is now undefeated since the NBA changed the All-Star format a few seasons ago.
Before the game, it was announced that Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were ruled ineligible to play in the All-Star game due to contact tracing relating to COVID-19.
Despite Team Durant losing, and playing short-handed without one of their best players in Embiid, they still fought back and tried to make the game more competitive.
Team Durant came out in the third quarter with a more aggressive approach. They scored 45-points in third alone. However, it still was too much to overcome because Team LeBron still had a 21-point lead entering the fourth quarter.
Bradley Beal led Team Durant with 26-points. Kyrie Irving chipped in 24 points and James Harden added 21 points of his own.
Chris Paul led both teams in assists as ne finished the game with 16. Curry and Paul both had signature dunks in the second quarter that surprised a lot of fans.
Jaylen Brown, a first time All-Star, finished the game with 22 points as he played in front of his hometown (Atlanta, GA).
Zion Williamson and Zach LaVine also played in their first All-Star games, and they embraced every moment.
The veteran point guard, Mike Conley, also played in his first All-Star game in his 14-year-career.
The 70th NBA All-Star game in Atlanta was different than usual from years past. Even with limited fans, the NBA still did a phenomenal job from an entertainment standpoint.
Next year, in 2022, the NBA All-Star game will be held at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland.
