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Tim BontempsESPN
Thanks to a perfect 16-for-16 performance from the field – including banking in multiple jump shots – Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo won his first NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award, while Team LeBron rode to a 170-150. victory over Team Durant on Sunday night in Atlanta.
‘You know, it’s usually closed [on Sundays]”,” Said Antetokounmpo with a smile, when asked about the jumpers put in, “but for me it was open for long hours.”
In a match that controlled Team LeBron from start to finish, it were Antetokounmpo (who finished with a game-high 35 points), Stephen Curry (28 points and eight 3-pointers) and Damian Lillard (32 points and hit the game-seal 3-pointer) who led the way. The three fought to the end for the MVP trophy, which was eventually won by Antetokounmpo.
At 100%, Antetokounmpo recorded the best field goal percentage ever in an All-Star game with a minimum of 10 tries. The previous record for most makes without a miss was held by Hal Greer, who went 8-for-8 in the 1968 All-Star Game.
“It’s nice,” said Antetokounmpo. “It’s fun. I was happy, my teammates had fun, and just being around great players, it was just easy to play with.”
This All-Star game, like everything else this season, was inevitably changed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Originally scheduled to be in Indianapolis, it was moved to Atlanta instead. There were only a handful of fans in the stands and strict quarantines for everyone involved.
However, that didn’t stop the virus from infiltrating the event, as contact tracking forced Philadelphia 76ers stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to both be pulled from the competition by the league – and possibly kept away from the Sixers as the second half of the season starts on Thursday.
The situation with Embiid and Simmons was the exact example NBA Commissioner Adam Silver cited Saturday when he discussed why, he believes, most NBA players will eventually get the vaccine. Silver said the NBA doesn’t require players to get the vaccine, but if they get vaccinated, they no longer need to go into quarantine – and thus not be able to play – if they come into contact with someone who tests positive. on COVID- 19.
But when LeBron James was asked if he was vaccinated on Sunday afternoon during his pregame media availability, he declined to say if he would get it.
“That’s a conversation my family and I will have. Keep that pretty much a private matter,” said James. “I could see clearly that Adam had his comments on the vaccination. But if you decide to do something, it’s a conversation between you and your family and not for everyone. I’ll keep it that way. ‘
James, who said early last month that the NBA that chose to run an All-Star Game amid last month’s ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was a “slap in the face,” lived up to his other quote he said. talked about the game that day.
“I’ll be there when I get selected,” said James. “But I’ll be there physically, but not mentally.”
James, who had not scored less than 13 points in any of his previous 16 All-Star appearances, had just 4 points in 2-for-7 shots – including snooping on two wide open layups – in 13 minutes. However, his teams are now 4-0 as the league has shifted to the current format with the top two voters choosing their teams in 2018.
Team LeBron donated more than $ 1 million to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund for its win, while Team Durant donated $ 500,000 to the United Negro College Fund.
Atlanta-born Jaylen Brown skipped a 3-pointer with 1:33 in the first quarter to finally give Team LeBron a victory in the first quarter. The second was much less competitive, as a 27-8 run over the last 3:54 of the second enabled Team LeBron to take a 20 point lead at half time.
Team LeBron also won the third quarter by one point and took a 21 point lead in the fourth quarter – meaning Team LeBron simply had to score 24 points with the “Elam Ending” before Team Durant scored 45.
The only drama left at the time would be whether Antetokounmpo, Curry or – after a late bout, Lillard – would eventually win the All-Star MVP trophy for the first time. But while Curry had the chance to end the game with a half-court 3-pointer and missed, on the next trip down Lillard himself stopped off the half-court line and buried it instead.
But in the end, it was the Greek Freak, and his perfect night, who won the day.