2019's NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte, North Carolina is the second year we are getting the playground "pick your team" format over the traditional East vs. West conference showdown. In year 2 of the new plan, it looks like the way to play until further notice. This glorified pickup game was turning into an unexpected Team Giannis blowout before LeBron and company came alive in the second half off the backs of clutch basket collection from Kevin Durant (31-7-2), Klay Thompson (20-8-4), and Damian Lillard (18-6-5). KD ended up taking home the night's MVP honors with 31-7-2-1-2 line on an efficient 10/15 shooting.
Rhythm Of The Game
The 2019 All-Star game started off with an unexpected bang on the end of Team Giannis. In the leadup to this game, a lot of people thought the team Giannis assembled lacked the big-name value that LeBron's team employed.
The Greek Freak and his mates showed why that assessment was meaningless, as they ran LeBron and company off the first quarter floor for a sixteen point lead at the buzzer, 37-53! Team LeBron was just going through the motions. Some of them looked like they didn't care out there. Who was going to step up for them and make it competitive?
The LeBronnettes had a little more life in them to start the second. Karl Anthony-Towns and Ben Simmons showed a nice little two-man game to bring the deficit back around ten off a flurry of transition dunks and threes. But just like they did all game, Team Giannis responded with a red-hot run of their own to create some distance once against from their opponents.
Giannis and company were just out there having pure fun, straight smiling after every highlight play. No highlight told the story better than a beaming Steph Curry coasting down the lane for a HIGH bounce pass assist slam to Giannis.
Fellow Team Giannis member Paul George was absolutely on fire, nailing ridiculous three and playing all-around in his MVP form. With the score at 65-82 with three minutes left, it was totally possible for Giannis and company to cross the 100-point mark in only two quarters. LeBron and company were going to need their A-game in the second half, down 82-95 after the first two quarters. Maybe we would actually see some defense in the All-Star game!
It took until a little past the halfway mark for this one to turn into a game. After Team Giannis sank a couple threes to kick off the quarter, Team LeBron went on a blazing 19-2 run to cut it to a four-point game, 118-122. That was when people actually started closing out on three-point shooters and actually playing D! A couple plays later, we were all tied up at 127! Damian Lillard's deadly three-point shooting was the catalyst of this run. This was the game we were waiting for! Team LeBron ended up recapturing the narrow lead at the end of the third, 132-131.
Make no mistake about it - this game was turning into a glorified three-point contest. One Team Giannis started missing, Team LeBron crept back in it. Every basket was either an iso three or a drive and kick triple as we sat neck and neck midway through the fourth, 155-153. Once LeBron came back in the game, his squad went on a 20-5 run to really put some distance between Giannis and the boys. Ten-point LBJ lead with under three minutes to go, 168-158.
Two minutes to go and we were finally seeing some respectable defense. Curry tried getting Team Giannis back in it with a parade of threes, but he just couldn't find the bottom of the net like earlier. LeBron's team was really pulling away in this one. Team Giannis didn't have enough time to mount a comeback. A superb second half effort propelled Team LeBron to an All-Star Game W, 178-164.
Takeaways
It's hard to debate an exhibition game with no consequences but here we go. Coming into this game, I thought the players who felt like they had something to prove would be the ones to shine. My candidates for MVP of the night were Giannis, KD, and Paul George. All three of them ended up having amazing games in this no-defense affair.
I feel like KD always has something to prove as long as he's on this overpowered Warriors team. He has publicly remarked that people won't give him as much credit for amazing play because he's on such a strong team, and that isn't an incorrect assessment. Tonight was an opportunity for KD to remind people that out of every top player in the world, he can still be the best player out of the field when he takes that upon himself.
I thought PG would be a contender too because of his excellent MVP-worthy play of late, and when he was making three after three in the middle of the game that bet was looking good. Giannis also has something to prove since he's regarded as one of the game's best but hasn't earned himself a championship - much less gone deep into the playoffs.
Overall it was a streaky game of hot shooting. Whoever kept their heads above water and caught fire at the right time would be crowned the winner, and that honor was given to Team LeBron. Their second half heat check proved to be the deciding factor in the end.
Now that the All-Star game has passed, we are about 2/3 through the NBA season. That thing went by fast! I feel like it was just yesterday that the brand-new LeBron Lakers were 0-3 and low-key shitting themselves trying to figure out how to play together. Fast forward a few months and they're still shitting themselves! But only because of injuries. If we had our star players healthy for most of the year we'd be in a completely different situation. I'm personally dreading the Lakers upcoming schedule, because their margin for error to make the playoffs is so small. But I'm going to stick by my team for better or worse. Check out highlights of the All-Star game below!
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