SALT LAKE CITY — Team Giannis won the 72nd NBA All-Star Game over Team LeBron, 185-174, on Sunday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Jayson Tatum, the game’s MVP, set an All-Star single-game scoring record with 55 points, breaking Anthony Davis’ old mark of 52 points set in 2017.
- Team Giannis’ charity of choice, Raise the Future, won $550,000.
- LeBron James, who lost for the first time in six tries as an All-Star captain, set NBA records for All-Star appearances (19) and consecutive selections (19).
- For the first time in All-Star history, the two teams were selected by team captains moments before tip, as though it were a schoolyard game.
The Stars
Tatum, a noted Kobe Bryant fan who won the All-Star award named after his hero, scored 27 in the third quarter en route to his first All-Star MVP. He connected on 10 3s and added 10 rebounds in 35 minutes.
Donovan Mitchell, also on Team Giannis, showed out with 40 points in his return to Vivint Arena. He starred here for six years before being traded toClevelandlast summer.
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Jaylen Brownscored 35 off the bench for Team LeBron, whileKyrie IrvingandJoel Embiid scored 32 points apiece for that side.
How it ended
Damian Lillard, the 3-point champion from Saturday night, drained his eighth 3 of the game after an absurd series of half-court misses by Team Giannis made this game closer than it actually was.
Remember, these All-Star games now use “Elam scoring” in the fourth quarter, which in this case means the game ends when one team scores the equivalent of the winning team’s score through three quarters, plus 24. Team Giannis was ahead 158-141 through three, which meant Team LeBron would’ve needed to score 41 points to win.
They said it
“It shows the players know more than you guys,” Embiid, on being the first starter chosen in the draft. He’s referring to his misses in season MVP balloting.
“I wouldn’t draft myself either. I’m not meant for this game,” said Nikola Jokić, about being the second-to-last player drafted despite being a two-time NBA MVP.
“Tough decision, mature decision,” Antetokounmpo said, about basically sitting this game out.
“I had it in my mind I was gonna win the MVP or 3-point contest. I was leaving here with something,” Tatum said.
“Coach (Michael) Malone is a defense-minded coach. I had him in my early days in Cleveland. I told him I would get one stop tonight for him. I tried to get one little chase-down block, and got my finger caught in the rim. But I’ll be fine. I’ll be fine. I don’t think it’s too much to worry about. For precautionary reasons, I just had to take the rest of the night off,” said James, about his second-half respite.
Team captains not a factor
Antetokounmpo took the court with his right wrist and thumb wrapped. He scored the first basket, committed a foul with 11:40 left, and was done for the night.
James, meanwhile, played just the first half, finishing with 13 points and four assists. A Lakers spokesperson said James suffered a “right hand contusion,” but he firmly shook hands with Dwyane Wade, Karl Malone, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on stage during a halftime ceremony honoring him as the game’s all-time leading scorer.
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The draft
The All-Stars were positioned on the stage on stools. James and Antetokounmpo stood in front of them on the stage, at podiums as though it were a political debate. TNT’s Ernie Johnson stood between them as a moderator.
Antetokounmpo, with his sprained right wrist wrapped and a notebook of draft prep in his hand, selected Damian Lillard with the first overall pick — due to new rules that reserves must be chosen before starters. James responded with Anthony Edwards, the youngest player in the All-Star Game at 21.
Antetokounmpothen filled his bench with, in order: Jrue Holiday (his Milwaukee teammate), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (after mistakenly drafting Ja Morant, who is a starter and therefore not yet eligible), DeMar DeRozan, Pascal Siakam, Bam Adebayo, Domantas Sabonis.LeBron’s bench went, in order: Jaylen Brown, Paul George, Tyrese Haliburton, Julius Randle, De’Aaron Fox, Jaren Jackson Jr.
As the NBA’s leading vote getter with nearly 8 million All-Star votes, James received the first pick among starters and tabbed Embiid. Antetokounmpo followed with Jayson Tatum.
The rest of James’ starting five, in order: Kyrie Irving (they did their special handshake from Cleveland days when LeBron picked him), Luka Doncic, Jokić (two-time MVP, playing on his 28th birthday).
Giannis’ other starters: Morant (second time’s a charm), Donovan Mitchell (big applause, as a former Jazz man), Lauri Markkanen (Mr. Irrelevant, huge applause as current Jazz man).
Required reading
- NBA All-Star takeaways: On Giannis’ health, load management, Mitchell’s moment and a happy Kevin Durant
- NBA All-Star Saturday night: Mac McClung shines in dunk contest
(Photo: Kyle Terada / USA Today)
Joe Vardon is a senior NBA writer for The Athletic, based in Cleveland. Follow Joe on Twitter @joevardon
