SALT LAKE CITY — Team LeBron finally lost an NBA All-Star Game.
Since the NBA started using the top vote-getters from each conference to serve as captains and pick teams playground style in 2018, LeBron James’ teams won the first five games.
Team Giannis got the best of Team LeBron on Sunday, leaving Salt Lake City with a 184-175 victory. Team Giannis is now 1-2 against Team LeBron.
Using the target of 182 – because Team Giannis had a 158-141 lead after three quarters and the target score is “the leading team’s total score after the first three quarters plus 24 points," according to the NBA – Portland’s Damian Lillard closed out the game with a 3-pointer.
It was a 3-point fest for Team Giannis, making 29, including 10 by Boston’s Jayson Tatum, eight by Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell and eight by Lillard.
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Who won the Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP award?
Tatum won the award, scoring an All-Star record 55 points, including 27 in the third quarter. Tatum was 22-for-31 from the field and 10-for-18 on 3-pointers. He also had 10 rebounds, six assists, one block and one steal.
It was first time Tatum, a huge Kobe Bryant fan, won the award.
The Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP Award trophy is an homage to Bryant’s jersey numbers, MVPs, All-Star MVPs, championships and Finals MVPs.
Best highlights
James threw the ball off the glass with his left hand around Donovan Mitchell, caught the ball with his left hand and threw down a two-handed dunk early in the first quarter.
Three-point contest winner and long-range specialist Damian Lillard of Portland pulled up from halfcourt and … swish.
Why didn’t LeBron James play in the second half?
James, who played in just one of the Los Angeles Lakers’ four games before the All-Star break because of a sore left ankle, did not play in the second half of Sunday’s game because of a bruised right hand. He finished with 13 points and four assists and extended his All-Star career points record to 426.
Why did Giannis Antetokounmpo play just 20 seconds?
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo sustained a sprained right wrist in Thursday’s victory against Chicago. While he says he’s fine, he did not participate in the Skills Challenge on Saturday, and after starting the All-Star Game and dunking 15 seconds into the game, he immediately fouled Luka Doncic and exited the game with 11:40 left in the first quarter. He did not return.
Other notable NBA All-Star performances
Mitchell scored 40 points and had 10 assists, and Lillard had 26 points for Team Giannis. Boston’s Jaylen Brown led Team LeBron with 35 points and 14 rebounds, and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Dallas’ Kyrie Irving each added 32 points. Irving also had 15 assists.
Which charitable organizations benefited from the All-Star Game?
Team LeBron chose Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah as his local charity, and Team Giannis selected Raise the Future. Each team started the game with a $150,000 donation to their charity, and the winner of each quarter donated an additional $100,000 to its charity and if a quarter ended in a tie, each charity received $50,000.
Raise the Future will be awarded $550,000, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah will receive $200,000.
Where is next year’s NBA All-Star Game?
The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will be in Indianapolis on Feb. 18 and hosted by the Indiana Pacers. The last time it was Indianapolis: 1985 at the Hoosier Dome. The West won and Ralph Sampson earned MVP with 24 points and 10 rebounds.
