NBA All-Star is enjoyable once more? First-of-its-kind format results in surprisingly aggressive occasion

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – No matter the format, the NBA All-Star Game works if, and provided that, the gamers resolve to compete.

For the primary time shortly, that’s principally what occurred Sunday at Intuit Dome, within the seventy fifth installment of the NBA’s midseason traditional. Albeit with a brand new look.

A round-robin event of two groups of American stars, and a 3rd of stars representing 9 different nations, belonged to the U.S. In an all-American championship recreation, the workforce of principally youthful U.S. stars prevailed over a squad of their older countrymen, 47-21, behind 9 factors from 76ers star Tyrese Maxey.

Frankly, the finals, a rematch between the 2 American groups from earlier Sunday, was the one less-than-compelling competitors of the 4 video games. Perhaps the older U.S. workforce was drained by having performed in three consecutive video games with no break. That workforce, led by hometown, home-arena star, the LA Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard, received the second and third video games of the afternoon on final photographs, and Leonard had probably the greatest 12 minutes in All-Star historical past with 31 factors in one of many video games.

Leonard scored 37 factors in three video games; the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards scored 32 for the championship workforce, en path to All-Star Game MVP honors. Edwards acquired 10 of 14 first-place votes from media members and fan voting.

“It means a lot,” Edwards mentioned of his All-Star MVP. “I love Minnesota, and I know Minnesota loves me. I said I wasn’t going to put on a show for them, but I gave them a show. Appreciate you all, Minnesota.”

LeBron James, Leonard’s teammate on Sunday who stars for the crosstown rival Lakers, performed in his NBA-record twenty second All-Star Game and completed with 15 factors. He mentioned earlier Sunday “When I know, you guys will know” about his attainable retirement after this season, so he might have performed in his remaining All-Star Game.

After two riveting video games (three, for those who depend the primary recreation of the night time between the eventual champion U.S. workforce and the World workforce), the older American stars opened the finals by lacking its first 9 photographs. They shot 8 of 31 within the finale and have been led by six factors from Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell. Again, the final recreation was not indicative of the remainder of the day.

“The last one was tough,” mentioned Houston’s Kevin Durant, 37, who was on the older American workforce and had mentioned earlier this weekend that comparisons of participant effort to previous NBA eras have been overblown.

“All three teams came out and played good ball. They hit a lot of shots,” Durant continued. “I think it was definitely a step up in the competitive department compared to last season.”

The workforce of world stars went 0-2 in two hard-fought losses. It was led in its two slim defeats by Victor Wembanyama’s 33 factors and three blocks, who had vowed to play exhausting and lived as much as his phrase.

“I think it was pretty good,” mentioned Wembanyama, the French star and San Antonio Spurs stalwart. “We got a guy like Kawhi going for 30, making every shot. It was a pretty good display of basketball. Better than last year, in my opinion. It was fun.”

The subsequent worldwide event at Intuit Dome will likely be an actual one, the large one: the 2028 Olympic males’s and girls’s tournaments.

This was in contrast to any earlier NBA All-Star occasion in latest reminiscence, not solely due to the brand new format, however as a result of the gamers’ effort was unquestionably current from the beginning. Even within the “heyday” of earlier All-Star Games, the gamers performed at half-speed for 3 quarters, and didn’t trouble to strive on protection whereas opponents threw lobs to one another and hoisted ridiculous photographs.

For an All-Star Game, it will be exhausting to overstate the elevated stage of play within the first three video games on Sunday. If you’re attempting to check what unfolded at Intuit Dome to, say, a playoff recreation, or perhaps a high-stakes regular-season recreation, you’d be lacking the purpose.

But this was, however, a day of defensive closeout on 3s, exhausting prices towards the rim, troublesome shot-making, usually with a defender standing there, timeouts and challenged calls by coaches, and shut, thrilling competitors. Players let their opponents go on fast-break dunks and maybe for dunks on good slip screens, however in any other case, protection was fixed.

“I’ve been asking for it. Fans have been asking for it. Media have been asking for it,” mentioned Karl Anthony-Towns of the Knicks and the World workforce. “I feel that after today I think you all can see the competition is there, and I think that we all brought it today and a sense of effort. I hope that the fans and all of you appreciate it.”

The timing of all of it might show to be its greatest downfall. NBC, again within the saddle as a media associate to the NBA, can also be broadcasting the Winter Olympics, and wished the Milan video games on prime-time TV on the East coast. It meant an All-Star begin of two p.m. native time in higher Los Angeles on each weekend days. While we watch for TV scores, it may possibly already be reported that Intuit Dome was lower than full – with rows of empty seats simply earlier than tip-off. People merely produce other stuff to do close to the seaside on a Sunday afternoon.

But an abbreviated pregame program – one of many gamers’ cures for fixing the All-Star Game was to cease with the circus of leisure earlier than the ball went up – was highlighted by John Tesh doing a dwell model of “Roundball Rock” because the gamers have been rapidly launched. Sarah McLaughlin belted out the Canadian nationwide anthem, and Brandy (with a full complement of backup singers) harmonized the “Star-Spangled Banner.”

And then it was on. If you discovered your approach to your seat, or to a TV (or pill or cellphone), you have been entertained.

The final “traditional” All-Star Game, with a workforce from the East towards a workforce from the West, was in 2019. Since then, we’ve seen alternate scoring codecs, captains choosing teammates prefer it’s the playground, and a workforce from the Rising Stars Challenge taking part in its approach into All-Star Sunday by successful the festivities Friday night time (that was final yr – you see how lengthy that lasted).

There are, in fact, nonetheless kinks to be labored out. Making the older workforce (LeBron is 41, for goodness sake) play three consecutive video games is only one instance.

Due to accidents and a normal case of smoothing over the bumps, the “younger” American workforce included Devin Booker, a five-time All-Star, and Edwards, a four-time All-Star. Meanwhile, the elder American workforce had Jalen Brunson (three All-Star appearances), Brandon Ingram (two All-Star nods) and De’Aaron Fox (two All-Star picks). Ingram and Fox are additionally youthful than Booker. The “world” workforce had two gamers – Towns and Norm Powell – who have been born within the U.S. And so it goes.

Each workforce performed two, 12-minute video games, and the groups with the very best data superior to the finals.

Folks, there was time beyond regulation immediately.

The lid-lifting recreation, that includes the U.S. “Stars” (the youthful workforce and eventual champ) towards the World featured seven lead modifications and went previous the 12-minute allotment as a result of Edwards tied the sport on a 3 with 13.3 seconds left.

“Overtime” on Sunday meant the primary workforce to 5 factors, and Scottie Barnes did that for the U.S., burying a 3 off a move from Jalen Duren for a 37-35 triumph. Edwards scored 13 factors in Game 1 whereas Wembanyama notched 14 factors for the World.

The U.S. “Stars” stayed on for Game 2, as a result of they received the opener, and so they misplaced an equally thrilling contest to U.S. “Stripes” (outdated heads), 42-40. Fox’s 3-pointer, off a move from Mitchell on the buzzer, received it – erasing some close to heroics from Edwards. On the earlier possession with the Stripes forward by two, Edwards stole the ball from Mitchell and canned a go-ahead 3 with 18.8 seconds remaining.

Jaylen Brown’s 11 factors led the Stripes in Game 2, whereas Edwards and Cade Cunningham scored 11 factors apiece for the youthful Americans.

Game 3 belonged to Leonard. The hometown, home-arena favourite who was an harm substitute within the recreation, poured in 31 factors, together with the game-winning 3-ball with 3.5 seconds left, to push the Stripes previous the World, 48-45. Leonard’s 31 factors would have tied Towns’ All-Star document for factors in 1 / 4, set two years in the past, however these 12-minute classes are technically “games” now.

So did Leonard tie the document? Who might say? Who cares? It was an excellent show. Leonard was 11 of 13 within the recreation, besting Wembanyama’s 19 factors for the World.

“It was great. Happy that Adam (Silver) let me in,” Leonard mentioned. “That’s what the home crowd wanted to see. I’m glad I was able to do something in that game.”

For reference, Leonard’s 31 factors in that third recreation could be the highest-scoring quarter by a participant within the NBA this season. The season-high in an precise recreation is 27 by James Harden within the first quarter of a Nov. 22 matchup towards the Charlotte Hornets. And there might have been extra protection performed on Leonard, within the All-Star Game, than there was on Harden that night time.

“Obviously, these guys aren’t competing at a regular-season schedule game, but it’s always fun to go out and compete with those guys and just cherish the court with them,” Leonard mentioned. “They’re all legends, and they’re playing great basketball.”

The 76th NBA All-Star Weekend is slated for Phoenix.

Whatever the format, followers will go away blissful if the gamers put forth the identical sort of effort.