The 73rd All Star Game in history had to be more competitive, the NBA had promised following the return to the East versus West format.
It actually ended last night with an orgy of baskets without any real defense and a record number of points: 397, including more than 200 scored for the first time by a single team.
It is the presumed weakest formation, that of the East, which won against that of the West (211-186).
“The good news is that no one was injured,” underlines LeBron James, thus summarizing the whole dilemma of this evening supposed to celebrate the stars who make the American league shine while preserving the health of the players and the rest of the game. the season.
Also read “He captured people’s hearts”: star among stars in Indianapolis, Wembanyama has already conquered America
The “King” then recognized, however, that everything is not perfect: “We must think about making this meeting more competitive, but that is also the meaning of the current game: we score more points, there is greater freedom of movement on the floor throughout the regular season.
» During a season where the bar of 70 points scored by a single player in the same match has been crossed several times, the debate around a blatant imbalance between attack and defense is thus relaunched.
LADY TIME.
⌚️
In his first time as a starter, Lillard lifts the Kobe Bryant Trophy as the 2024 #KiaAllStarMVP!
🌟 39 PTS
🌟 11 3PM
🌟 6 AST
🌟 East W pic.twitter.com/3gkividrdx
— NBA (@NBA) February 19, 2024
The All Star Game not only brings together the 24 biggest stars of this game since the start of the season, but also celebrities who come to attend, in the front row, this exhibition meeting.
We see, among others, Bill Murray, Spike Lee, Lil Wayne, Fat Joe, and Chris Tucker.
50 Cent is also “In da Club”.
Victor Wembanyama a little there
Victor Wembanyama is not there, at least physically, after only being selected for the Rising Stars on Friday, the meeting of the best young people in the NBA.
But we would swear that the French Spurs rookie is still on the floor a little.
Several players try gestures attempted by Wemby since the start of the season: LeBron James bounces the ball on the board to then catch it, but fails;
Trae Young passes the ball between Kevin Durant's legs;
and Donovan Mitchell scores 3 points… on one leg.
Already the influence of the French and his gestures coming from nowhere?
“No, that’s the kind of thing I usually do,” Trae Young responds.
“I tried my shot on one leg because LeBron was in front of me and I had seen him do it (
in November against Orlando
),” explains Donovan Mitchell.
The match, like last year's opposition, is more of a demonstration meeting than a real duel.
The Eastern team quickly takes off.
Lillard, Tatum and Haliburton all have the same number on their backs: 0. Math specialists know that no matter how much we add or multiply the zeros, we still remain at zero.
EVERY ANGLE of Damian Lillard's 2nd halfcourt shot of the night... this one to put the punctuation on an East W. pic.twitter.com/3yGP9IBLMp
— NBA (@NBA) February 19, 2024
But what applies to math doesn't always apply to basketball: the highest number in the game, Luka Doncic's 77, may have done the least.
And the three basketball players with the 0 on their backs quickly fill out their stat sheets.
They finished with 39, 20 and 32 points respectively.
Damian Lillard even won the title of MVP of the evening, notably for the two successful shots from mid-distance.
We literally mean halfway: from the middle of the field.
HOMETOWN HALI 🙌
Tyrese Haliburton came out SCORCHING, scoring 15 in the 1Q, on way to 32 in front of the Indy crowd!
🌟 32 PTS
🌟 10/14 3PM
🌟 7 REB
🌟 6 AST
🌟 EAST W pic.twitter.com/jNVvqiN7oa
— NBA (@NBA) February 19, 2024
In the stands, the Pacers fans let out their disappointment with loud whistles: they would obviously have preferred to see the local of the stage, Tyrese Haliburton, rewarded.
The best scorer of the match is Karl-Anthony Towns (West team), with 50 points.
Next year, the All Star Weekend will take place in San Francisco, in the Golden State Warriors arena, which is already making Stephen Curry, who will play at home there, smile: “Our city has a lot to offer,” says- he.
New records perhaps, but certainly not a much more competitive meeting.