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SALT LAKE CITY — Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum halted LeBron James’ All-Star Game dynasty, but the NBA’s 72nd midseason showcase still belonged to the Los Angeles Lakers star.
Team Giannis defeated Team LeBron, 184-175, in a soporific contest Sunday night at Vivint Arena, ending James’ five-game winning streak as captaincy on a night in which he was honored to be named the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Tatum led Team Giannis to victory, notching an All-Star Game record 55 points from time with 10 rebounds and six assists amid a riveting shooting performance in the crucial third quarter.
“I wanted to be MVP,” Tatum said, noting that the award’s trophy is named after his childhood hero, the great Lakers Kobe Bryant. “I didn’t think I’d get 55. That’s the icing on the cake.”
James had 13 points, a rebound and four assists in 14 minutes before sitting out the second half with a finger injury, which he said: “[wasn’t] too much to worry.” Though James missed crunch time after slamming his hand on the rim while blocking a shot, he was ever-present. He entered a playground-style live draft with Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo to select team rosters, then was honored at halftime alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone, the second- and third- all-time leading scorers in the NBA.
“Regardless of the challenge, no matter how loud, he was relentless,” said former Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade as he introduced James to hearty applause at halftime. “He’s not just a four-time MVP, or a 19-time All-Star, or a gold medalist, or an NBA champion. He is son, father, husband and friend. Now he is the all-time leading scorer in NBA history.”
James, Abdul-Jabbar and Malone then stood side by side, hugging and waving to the crowd. With the 19th All-Star selection of his career, James Abdul-Jabbar tied for the most in league history. His 19 All-Star appearances are a record.
“I haven’t had a chance to see Kareem live, but I know the history of the game,” James said. “I had the opportunity to watch a lot of Karl Malone games live. To see how they’ve graced the court with their skills – they’ve got the physicality of Malone’s game, but he’s also got some finesse with his mid-range jump shot, with his ability to run the ground. Kareem’s game [is] a unique game that no one has ever been able to patent or steal. They were just so dominant in their eras. I stand between these guys and it’s such a surreal feeling.”
In the NBA’s unconventional All-Star format, teams competed quarter by quarter for charity. They were 46 in the first quarter; Team Giannis won the second quarter 53-46 and won the third quarter 59-49.
The clock was turned off for the fourth quarter as teams attempted to complete a target tally of 182 points as part of the ‘Elam ending’, which ensures every competition ends on game-winning points. The build-up of effort that usually comes in the fourth quarter never materialized, and Tatum acknowledged the competition had a “safety first” feel as players tried to avoid injuries with the postseason around the corner.
Tatum broke Anthony Davis’ All-Star Game record of 52 points set in 2017. With 27 points in the third quarter, the St. Louis native set a record for points in an All-Star Game district.
“[The all-star scoring record] means the world,” he said. “Records are meant to be broken. I’ll hold it as long as I can, but I’m sure someone will come along and break it.”
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who won Saturday’s three-pointer, delivered the winner’s basket with a deep three-pointer after Team Giannis missed several bad shots in the half-court. While the Saturday All-Star list ended with a euphoric crowd reaction to Mac McClung’s unexpectedly exciting slam-dunk competition performance, some fans began filling in midway through the fourth quarter of Sunday’s showcase, which featured virtually no defensive effort.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell added 40 points, four rebounds and 10 assists for Team Giannis. Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid each had 32 points for Team LeBron.
“This is the worst basketball game ever played,” said Team LeBron coach Michael Malone.
This year’s All-Star Game opened with a new twist, with James and Antetokounmpo picking their rosters one by one as part of the pregame show. To reduce the embarrassment associated with last player picks, the NBA and players’ union have agreed that captains will select their benches before selecting their starters.
“We thought this would be an interesting experiment,” said Commissioner Adam Silver. “I thought it would just add a little more excitement.”
Antetokounmpo selected Lillard as the first choice among reserves – to James’ surprise, since Jrue Holiday, Antetokounmpo’s Bucks teammate, was on the board. James later selected Embiid with first pick among the starters, and Antetokoumpo followed with Tatum.
“He’s one of the best players in the league,” said Antetokounmpo. “Able goalscorer as he has shown. We had a little talk. I knew he would play hard.”
The draft had its share of hilarious interludes, including Antetokounmpo mistakenly attempting to draft Ja Morant into the reserves despite the Memphis Grizzlies Guard being the designated starter.
“Giannis is trying, y’all,” James joked.
After Jaren Jackson Jr. was the last reserve pick, Denver’s Nikola Jokic made sure he wouldn’t suffer the same fate among the starters. Jokic jumped out of his seat early before James had made his final selection, leaving Utah’s Lauri Markkanen shrugging in confusion as he realized he was last on stage.
After Antetokounmpo finished his drawing work, he entered the court with a bandage protecting his injured right wrist. The two-time MVP dove on first possession and then immediately checked out to avoid further injury. He said he had to make a “tough decision, but a mature decision” so he could maximize his availability for Milwaukee’s stretch run. Though he spent most of the night cheering from the sidelines, the seven-time All-Star clinched his first win in three tries as captain.
“Winner, winner, chicken dinner,” said a smiling Antetokounmpo.
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