Giannis Antetokounmpo Wins All-Star MVP With Perfect Shooting, Leads Team LeBron to 170-150 Win Over Team Durant
Giannis Antetokounmpo did not have the first perfect shooting performance in NBA All-Star Game history--Hal Greer shot 8-8 from the field en route to scoring 21 points and winning the 1968 NBA All-Star Game MVP--but he set the NBA All-Star Game record for most field goals without a miss (16), and he captured his first All-Star Game MVP by scoring a game-high 35 points as his Team LeBron routed Team Durant, 170-150. Antetokounmpo played just 19 minutes, so he scored nearly two points per minute. Most of Antetokounmpo's shots were lightly contested--if not uncontested--dunks, but he also shot 3-3 from three point range. Each team shot 3-5 from the free throw line as both teams spent most of the game not even pretending to care about defense. Perhaps the league and/or the players think that the fans want to see uncontested dunks and wide open three pointers, but I think/hope that true basketball fans want to see competition. A contested dunk is a great play; an uncontested dunk is just performance art.
Antetokounmpo is not responsible for the lack of defensive resistance, and he is a fitting recipient for the second annual Kobe Bryant NBA All-Star Game MVP award because he is a team-oriented player who plays hard and has the right mindset about the game, much like Kawhi Leonard was a fitting recipient for the first Kobe Bryant NBA All-Star Game MVP last year.
Damian Lillard scored 32 points for Team LeBron, including the logo three pointer that ended the game under the fourth quarter scoring system that designates the winner as the team that finishes with 24 more points than the leading team had at the end of the third quarter (in honor of Kobe Bryant's number 24 jersey); in other words, because Team LeBron led 146-125 after the third quarter the winning team would be the first squad to reach 170 points. Lillard shot 11-20 from the field, including 8-16 from three point range.
Stephen Curry, who seemed to be having an in game shooting contest with his All-Star teammate Lillard, finished with 28 points on 10-19 field goal shooting, and he also shot 8-16 from three point range.
Chris Paul led Team LeBron with a game-high 16 assists, and he passed his way past Magic Johnson into first place on the NBA All-Star Game career assists list (128).
Team captain LeBron James made it clear before the All-Star Game that he opposed having an All-Star Game during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that essentially he was playing under protest. James scored four points on 2-7 field goal shooting in just 13 minutes. His squad has won all four games under the current format, so he is the Red Auerbach of NBA All-Star Game general managers, and he joked after the game about wanting to retire as a captain so that he can maintain his perfect record.
Kevin Durant may have fared better as a general manager if he had been able to play for his squad, but he sat out due to injury. Bradley Beal, the current league scoring leader, topped Team Durant with 26 points on 10-16 field goal shooting. Kyrie Irving added 24 points plus a team-high 12 assists. In a game tailor made for James Harden's all offense/little defense game, he scored 21 points while also posting a game-worst -23 plus/minus number; somehow, in a defense-optional game he still managed to have the least defensive impact, to the extent that during his 32 minutes his team could not keep pace despite how many points he scored.
The most positive aspect of the night, by far, is the attention that the NBA focused on HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), and the funds that the NBA provided for those institutions. The TNT pregame show included an excellent feature story about the history of HBCUs, and the contributions that HBCU alumni have made across a variety of fields. This is an important part of American history that all of us, regardless of race, should know about and appreciate.
Prior to the game, three anthems were performed beautifully. First, the Clark Atlanta University Philharmonic Society performed "Lift Every Voice and Sing," the poem written by James Weldon Johnson and set to music by his brother J. Rosamond Johnson. Next, Alessia Cara performed the Canadian National Anthem. Finally, Gladys Knight performed the Star Spangled Banner.
Team LeBron played for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, while Team Durant represented the United Negro College Fund. Each team could win money on behalf of its fund by winning a quarter and/or by winning the game overall. Team LeBron won the first three quarters in addition to winning the game, and thus raised $1.25 million for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. The NBA will contribute $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund.
There is not much analysis that can be provided about the game itself. Zion Williamson, the fourth youngest NBA All-Star ever (behind only Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Magic Johnson), set the unofficial NBA All-Star Game record for missed dunks as he shot 1-5 from the field in the first quarter, but he bounced back to finish with 10 points on 5-9 field goal shooting in 14 minutes for Team Durant.
Team LeBron won the first quarter, 40-39. The teams played less defense in the second quarter, which Team LeBron won, 60-41. Antetokounmpo scored 24 points on 11-11 field goal shooting in the first half, and his name was probably already being engraved on the MVP trophy at halftime. Team LeBron won the third quarter, 46-45. Team Durant scored 25 point in the final stanza before Team LeBron scored the necessary 24 points to clinch the victory.
Prior to the All-Star Game, Domantas Sabonis won the Skills Challenge after finishing second in the event last year. Then, Stephen Curry won the Three Point Shootout in a photo finish over first-time All-Star Mike Conley, hitting his final shot to edge Conley, 28-27. This is Curry's second Three Point Shootout win.
During halftime of the All-Star Game, three players who have less than 60 combined career regular season NBA dunks competed in the Slam Dunk Contest: Anfernee Simons, Obi Toppin, and Cassius Stanley. The scoring of the five judge panel was questionable at best. Simons was crowned the champion after beating Toppin in the final round, with three of the judges choosing Simons while two of the judges picked Toppin.
The NBA changed All-Star Weekend to All-Star Night, cramming the Skills Challenge, the Three Point Shootout, the Slam Dunk Contest, and the All-Star Game into one evening, ostensibly to follow the proverbial "health and safety protocols." Of course, the reality is that the league held a one day All-Star Weekend because canceling the event entirely would cost the league a significant amount of revenue, and the league's main priority is to maximize its profits. All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were last second scratches due to the "health and safety protocols," because their personal barber just tested positive for COVID-19. Amazingly, the NBA was able to immediately determine that there is no way that any other players or NBA personnel heading to Atlanta for All-Star Night were potentially exposed to Embiid, Simmons, and/or the barber, so the event could proceed as scheduled. No replacement All-Stars were selected; even though Embiid and Simmons both play for the Philadelphia 76ers--and thus would have both been on the Eastern Conference All-Star team in the traditional format--in the current format each had been drafted to a different squad, so the end result of their absences was that each All-Star team had 11 available players.
I have been an NBA fan for almost my entire life, and All-Star Weekend has always been one of my favorite events. I am not sure that the event should have been held this year under these circumstances, and I am sure that the game and the satellite events were not as compelling as they were back in the day, but All-Star Weekend will probably always be must-see TV for me, and the NBA clearly believes/hopes that many other fans feel the same way. Raising awareness about and funds for HBCUs is a good thing, but if that were truly the league's primary goal then that could have been accomplished without having All-Star Night. The athleticism, shooting skills, and passing skills of these players are undeniable, and it would be wonderful if someday soon the pendulum swings back to the way things were when the players competed during the game as opposed to just taking turns showing off their skills with no defensive resistance being applied.
Recent NBA All-Star Game Recaps:
"After three quarters, it seemed that the new NBA All-Star Game format had not inspired many players from either team to even pretend to play at a fraction of their full capabilities. Fortunately, the fourth quarter--a race to 157 points based on adding 24 points (in honor of Kobe Bryant)
to the 133-124 lead enjoyed by Team Giannis over Team LeBron at the end of the third quarter--featured high level play as both teams looked fully engaged: Team Giannis' Kyle Lowry seemed to try to take a charge on every defensive possession, players from both teams contested almost every shot, and the level of physicality ramped up to top notch regular season levels, if not even first round playoff levels.
It is mystifying that most NBA players seem to need external motivation
to play their best in the All-Star Game, but with a substantial portion
of the weekend's festivities dedicated to the memory of
Bryant--including naming the All-Star MVP award for him--it would have
been a travesty for the players to just sleepwalk through the entire
proceedings. Kawhi Leonard is a pioneer of the less than commendable
load management scourge, but at least he always plays hard when he is on
the court. Leonard scored a game-high 30 points on 11-18 field goal
shooting (including 8-14 from three point range), grabbed seven
rebounds, dished for four assists, and received the first Kobe Bryant
All-Star Game MVP Award as his Team LeBron won, 157-155."
Kevin Durant Wins his Second All-Star MVP as Team LeBron Overcomes 20 Point Deficit to Defeat Team Giannis, 178-164 (2019)
"The All-Star Game sunk to such depths a few years ago that there were
even whispers that it might be discontinued. Instead, the league changed
the format from East versus West to a format in which the top two
vote-getters conduct a draft consisting of a pool of other All-Stars
selected by fans, coaches and media members. LeBron James faced off
against Giannis Antetokounmpo in this year's All-Star draft. Popular
consensus was that James, whose draft strategy seemed to be focused on
acquiring every major player who will be a free agent soon, got the
better of Antetokounmpo--but it did not look like that initially, as
Team Giannis led 53-37 after the first quarter and 95-82 at halftime.
Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 38 points on 17-23 field
goal shooting, including 10 dunks. He also had 11 rebounds and five
assists. He set the tone in the first quarter with 16 points.
Antetokounmpo's
Milwaukee teammate/All-Star teammate Khris Middleton added 20 points on
7-13 field goal
shooting, including 6-10 from three point range. Middleton scored 12
first quarter points.
To coin--or repeat--a phrase, it seemed like Team LeBron was in 'chill
mode' during the first half, but in the second half they exerted at
least some defensive effort and they rained down a barrage of three
pointers. Team LeBron outscored Team Giannis 96-69 in the second half
while shooting 22-49 from three point range. The teams combined to
attempt 167 three pointers during the game, compared to 108 two pointers
attempted.
Kevin Durant earned MVP honors by scoring 31 points on 10-15 field goal
shooting (including 6-9 from three point range) while also contributing
seven rebounds. He had 11 points on 4-4 field goal shooting in the
fourth quarter. Durant's Golden State teammate Klay Thompson finished
second on Team LeBron with 20 points on 7-16 field goal shooting (6-12
from three point range) and he had eight rebounds and four assists as
well."
LeBron James Earns Third All-Star Game MVP as Team LeBron Outlasts Team Stephen, 148-145 (2018):
"LeBron James scored a game-high 29 points on 12-17 field goal shooting,
grabbed a game-high tying 10 rebounds and dished eight assists as Team
LeBron defeated Team Stephen 148-145 in the first year of the NBA's new All-Star selection format;
instead of the traditional matchup featuring the Eastern Conference
facing the Western Conference, a team of All-Stars picked by LeBron
James faced a team of All-Stars picked by Stephen Curry. The NBA tweaked
the All-Star Game in the wake of several subpar All-Star Games,
culminating in last year's farce.
Before the 2018 All-Star Game, James already held the NBA All-Star Game
career scoring record (314 points) and yesterday he surpassed Julius
Erving (321 points) to set the record for most points scored in ABA and
NBA All-Star Games combined. Bob Pettit (1956, 58, 59, 62) and Kobe
Bryant (2002, 2007, 2009, 2011) share the record with four All-Star Game
MVPs each, while James joined Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and
Shaquille O'Neal as three-time winners; James previously earned the
All-Star Game MVP in 2006 and 2008."
The NBA All-Star Game Has Become a Farce (2017):
"The Western Conference's 192-182 victory over the Eastern Conference is
without question the worst NBA All-Star Game that I have ever watched.
Other than the MLB All-Star Game that ended in a tie (and many NFL Pro
Bowls of recent vintage) it may be the worst major professional league
All-Star Game ever. When the reigning two-time regular season MVP
literally lies down on the court instead of attempting to play defense,
you know that the event has jumped the shark"
Labels: 2021 NBA All-Star Game, Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, HBCU, LeBron James, Stephen Curry
posted by David Friedman @ 2:33 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home