The All-Star Game returned this year with a few changes, seeing it go back to the standard East vs. West battle with a traditional scoring system and four 12-minute quarters.
It did little though to change the many things that have made the game so unwatchable that it actually starts to become watchable, with the East running out 211-186 winners at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indiana.
Aussie basketball great Andrew Gaze delivered a scathing review of the contest on his SEN radio show.
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“I’ve never been more frustrated in my sport, watching the NBA All-Star game,” Gaze said.
“The East winning the contest 211 to 186 … it was putrid. And sure you saw some flashy guys running at the basket and dunking it, but watch the dunk contest then.
“It’s an indictment on the game and an indictment on the concept. It might’ve been something that’s worthwhile in another time but right now it’s hard to watch. Anyone with a modicum, a smidge of competitive instinct would be disgusted.”
He added: “I’ve lost all interest … it used to be a fun way to highlight the talents of the NBA.
“It’s still worthwhile as honouring those who have performed to a level that they become NBA All-Stars, I have no problem with the recognition, but don’t play the game any more.”
History was already made after the opening two quarters as the teams conbined for 193 points — the most-ever first half points in the concept’s history.
It seemed inevitable at that stage that the East, who scored 104 of those points, would crack the magic 200-point and a Tyrese Haliburton 3-pointer saw them do just that.
With it, the East became the first team to hit the double-century, surpassing the record-breaking 196 points that the West put up in 2016.
The historic points total is sure to reignite the debate on how to make the All-Star game competitive, with NBA commissioner Adam Silver even awkwardly congratulating the East for breaking the record for most points in a game.
It was fitting after Haliburton scored five-straight 3s in the first quarter of the game, with the Pacers’ star guard adding another five points along with an assist in the final 90 seconds in the fourth.
Haliburton had 32 points in the game but was trumped by East teammate Damian Lillard, who had 39 and put a stamp on a busy shooting night by draining a halfcourt shot.
Lillard, who was named MVP, made 11 3-pointers in the win while the East as a team went 42-for-97 from deep, with Jaylen Brown adding six off the bench on his way to 36 points.
While the West was comfortably defeated on Monday, Minnesota big man Karl-Anthony Towns actually led all scorers with 50 points as he drained four 3-pointers while going 23-for-35 from the floor.
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, had a team-high seven 3s as he finished with 31 points, five assists, four rebounds and a steal.
If you wanted the perfect illustration of the varying degrees to which players were buying into the game, one sequence midway through the third quarter is all you need to watch.
On one end Luka Doncic had an easy transition layup but decided to try a self-dunk off the backboard and missed it completely.
Then, Lillard on the next play drained a ridiculous half-court shot to bring up 33 points after 11 in the quarter to that point.
“I was feeling myself too much,” Doncic later said during the broadcast.
Meanwhile, there was another possession late in the fourth quarter which ended with a Gilgeous-Alexander bucket despite the ball never touching the ground, with Nikola Jokic and Doncic instead just passing the ball up the floor between themselves.
The East led 53-47 after a high-scoring opening quarter, with 3-point shooting the biggest difference between the two teams as the East went 13-for-27 from deep while the West were just 5-for-15.
The West was able to keep it close though by dominating 26-12 in the paint, with Gilgeous-Alexander the best of the bunch early with seven points in the quarter.
While defence was clearly optional in Monday’s game there were plenty of highlight-reel shots and even a sneaky between-the-legs move from Trae Young on Kevin Durant.
The Eastern Conference had been hit by two key injuries with starting big man Joel Embiid and reserve Julius Randle both unavailable and replaced by Bam Adebayo and Scottie Barnes respectively.
Meanwhile, there is no such disruption for the Western Conference as a star-studded starting line-up features three MVP candidates in Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.
TEAMS
Eastern Conference
Starters
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, Bam Adebayo (starting for Joel Embiid)
Reserves
Paolo Banchero, Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young (injury replacement), Scottie Barnes (injury replacement)
Unavailable
Joel Embiid (injured), Julius Randle (injured)
Western Conference
Starters
LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic
Reserves
Devin Booker, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Karl-Anthony Towns
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EARLIER:
LEBRON OPENS UP ON FUTURE PLANS, POTENTIAL FAREWELL TOUR
James will be suiting up for an NBA-record 20th All-Star game, telling reporters the chance to share a locker room with some of the best players in the league is still something he does not take for granted.
“It’s just been an absolute honor to be able to grace the floor throughout my career and be out there with the greatest players in the world year in and year out,” he said.
“… Being here. You still get that moment where I’m in the locker room looking at Steph, AD, KD, Kawhi, Joker, Luka all those guys. Those are just a few of the names. Those are the guys in the West. So you still have that feeling like, this is pretty cool.”
James confirmed he sought treatment for a left ankle issue which saw him miss the Lakers’ last game before the All-Star break and said he wouldn’t play the “entire game” on Monday.
“I did seek treatment the last few days, trying to get my ankle as strong and as back to where I feel confident that I can finish off this last third of the season,” James said.
“I won’t be playing the entire game tonight, for sure. I can get out there and run around with the young guys for a little bit and then shut it down at some point to give my body, and my ankle more importantly, another opportunity to rest.”
James was not specifically asked on Monday about a report from ESPN which claimed the Golden State Warriors had tried to make a move to land the Lakers superstar before the trade deadline.
Both James and the Lakers were said to have not been willing to explore the potential move but it will remain a story to monitor ahead of free agency in the summer.
Dame does it again on All-Star weekend | 00:41
In the meantime, James on Monday was asked more broadly whether he had mapped out what his future looks like in terms of how many more seasons he plays and if it ends with the Lakers.
“I have not mapped out how many seasons I have left,” James replied.
“I know it’s not that many. I also don’t know if I will — I was asked this question a couple days ago. Will you kind of take the farewell tour, or will you kind of just Tim Duncan it?
“I’m 50-50, I’m going to be honest, because there’s times when I feel like I guess I owe it to my fans that have been along this journey with me for two decades plus, to be able to give them that moment where it’s every city and whatever the case may be and they give you your flowers or whatever the case may be. That seems cool.
“But the other side of I’ve never been that great with accepting like praise. It’s a weird feeling for me. I never really talked about it much, but it’s just a weird feeling for me. So to go in each city, if that’s the case — I don’t know.
“I’ve seen Mike’s, I’ve seen Kobe’s. I’ve seen a lot of guys. I just don’t know how much I — how I’d feel. I don’t know if I’d feel great about it. Maybe the only child in me maybe.
But I don’t know.
“I am a Laker, and I am happy and been very happy being a Laker the last six years, and hopefully it stays that way. But I don’t have the answer to how long it is or which uniform I’ll be in. Hopefully it is with the Lakers. It’s a great organisation and so many greats. But we’ll see. I don’t know how it’s going to end, but it’s coming. It’s coming, for sure.”