NFL
By: Christopher Jordan
Team LeBron woops team Durant in high fashion. Team LeBron won 170-150. Despite, LeBron James not playing in the second half.
The first quarter was by far the most interesting because both teams wanted to make their presence felt. Team LeBron led 40-39 behind Stephen Curry’s 12-points and Giannis Antetokounmpo 15 points.
The second quarter is when team LeBron made a statement on why they were the better team. They managed to score 60 points in the quarter. They went on a 21-2 run to end the quarter. Damian Lillard hit a long 30-plus footer and then Stephen Curry followed his lead and made a 30-plus footer before the quarter ended.
The two-best long-range shooters in the game shared a big moment in the game.
In the third quarter, LeBron James decided to sit out the second half of the game and be the coach from the sidelines. James only played for 13 minutes and he scored four points in the game. James had faith in the team in which he drafted. They did not disappoint.
Giannis was Mr. Perfect in the All-Star game from start to finish. He went 16-for-16 from the field and scored a 35-point game. The Greek Freak was money at the bank. He was the first player to play in an all-star game and not miss a shot. Antetokounmpo would go on to win the All-Star game MVP for the first time in his all-star career.
Curry finished the game was 28 points and Damian Lillard finished the game with 32 points. Lillard hit the last three for team LeBron to end the game. Lebron is undefeated since the NBA changed the all-star format a few seasons ago. He has a 4-0 record since 2018.
Despite, Team Durant losing, and playing short-handed without one of their best players Joel Embiid they still fought back and tried to make the game more competitive.
Team Durant came out in the third quarter with a more aggressive approach. They scored 45-points in third alone. However, it still was too much to overcome because team LeBron still had a 21-point lead entering the fourth quarter.
Bradley Beal led team Durant with 26-points. Kyrie Irving chipped in 24 points and Haden added 21-points.
The loss of Joel Embiid was a factor in why the game was so lopsided. Embiid and Ben Simmons were ruled ineligible to play in the all-star game due to contract tracing.
Chris Paul led both teams in assists. He finished the game with 16 assists. He was the leader for the offense when LeBron decided to not play in the second half. Curry and Paul both had signature dunks in the second quarter that surprised a lot of fans.
Jaylen Brown, who was in his first all-star game, finished the game with 22-points. Brown was also playing in his hometown Atlanta, Ga.
Zion Williamson and Zach LaVine also played in their first all-star game and they embraced every moment.
The veteran Mike Conley also played in his first all-star game in his 14-year career.
The 70th NBA all-star game in Atlanta was different than usual from the NBA all-star games in the past. Even with limited fans the NBA still did a phenomenal job.
Next year, in 2022 the NBA all-star game will be held at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland.
Now we get ready for the 2nd half of the season and the playoffs, so far this year has been anything but boring. Buckle up and get ready for a wild ride.
