Eastern Conference guard Damian Lillard (0) of the Milwaukee Bucks, guard Tyrese Maxey (0) of the Philadelphia 76ers, and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) of the Milwaukee Bucks receive the trophy following their victory against the Western Conference All-Stars in the 73rd NBA All Star game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Damian Lillard wanted to do something special in his eighth NBA All-Star Game.
His pull-up 3-pointer from half court delivered a dazzling highlight. A postgame announcement in which he was named NBA All-Star Game MVP for the first time provided a perfect finish.
Lillard scored 39 points and drained 11 3-pointers to lead the Eastern Conference to a record-setting 211-186 win over the Western Conference on Sunday night in Indianapolis.
“It’s an honour,” said Lillard, who is in his first season with the Milwaukee Bucks. “I’ve been here quite a few times, so to have this kind of accomplishment is special. Any time you have this type of experience enough, you want to have this (specific) experience — you want to be All-Star Game MVP.”
The Eastern Conference shattered the record for most points by a team in an All-Star Game. The previous mark was 196 points, which late Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant and the Western Conference notched during the 2016 All-Star Game.
Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown added 36 points on 15-for-23 shooting for the Eastern Conference in the win. Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton finished with 32 points on 11-for-15 shooting to delight fans who watched him play on his home court.
“I was just going to keep shooting until I missed,” Haliburton said. “(I was) just having fun, playing basketball. I didn’t know how many minutes I was going to play, didn’t know how my leg would feel, but I felt good (Sunday). …
“It wasn’t high intensity at all, but it feels good that I felt good, and hopefully I can continue that moving forward.”
Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves led the Western Conference with 50 points on 23-for-35 shooting. The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 31 points on 12-for-16 shooting, including a 7-for-10 mark from long distance.
Towns said Anthony Edwards, his Timberwolves teammate and a fellow All-Star, kept encouraging him to score more.
“He was breaking down the points to me on the bench,” Towns said. “I knew it was something special because even (Stephen Curry) got up and was like, ‘Get 50. Get 50.'”
The contest was dominated by 3-pointers and dunks, as neither side devoted much energy or attention to defense.
The Eastern Conference shot 56.8 percent (83-for-146) from the field and 43.3 percent (42-for-97) from 3-point range. The Western Conference shot 55.9 percent (80-for-143) overall and 35.2 percent (25-for-71) from beyond the arc.
LeBron James made history by playing in his 20th All-Star Game. The 39-year-old surpassed fellow Los Angeles Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who earned 19 selections.
The career milestone did not equate to a memorable performance on the court for James. He finished with eight points on 4-for-10 shooting, and he missed all three of his 3-point attempts.
The Eastern Conference led 104-89 at the half. Lillard had 22 points before the break, including a half-dozen 3-pointers, to help his team grab a 15-point lead.
Lillard maintained his hot hand in the second half. He drained a spot-up shot from half court during the third quarter to make it 132-105. After the shot swished through the basket, Lillard extended his arms into a full wingspan and walked back toward the defensive end.
The Eastern Conference scored at least 50 points in all four quarters.
The Western Conference scored 47 points in the first quarter, 42 in the second, 47 in the third and 50 in the fourth.