Photo Credit, usatoday.com
Team Steph vs. Team LeBron. It’s a new format under a different definition. Stephen Curry and LeBron James are the team captains, who hand-picked the players for the 2018 NBA All-Star Game. What does this mean? Under the old format, we may have spared ourselves from watching a less competitive contest. Finally, with the new in and the past out, the game came down to the buzzer before fans knew who walk away with the victory.
Initially, four of James picks did not make the trip due to injury, including DeMarcus Cousins, Kevin Love, Kristaps Porzingis and John Wall.
Even though fans were kept in the dark about the selection of players, more good than bad came out of it.
Including Curry and LeBron delivering on its promise by making the game more competitive than the typical pickup or celebrity game. LeBron and Curry mentioned the game would be more competitive and intensified under the new format than the old and indeed it was.
The fourth quarter became crunch time as any postseason game would be. As the intensity picked up, Team LeBron kept within striking distance despite trailing most of the game. Yes, the game was high scoring, but defense won it for Team LeBron, 148-145 in the winding moments against Team Steph on Sunday night at Staples Center.
James and Kevin Durant trapped and smothered Stephen Curry on the right baseline as he received the inbound pass with 10.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter. With little room to work with, Curry passed the ball off to a teammate, who came under fierce pressure and fail to get the shot off before the buzzer sounded, leaving LeBron and Durant celebrating with shouting and handshakes.
James, who picked up the MVP Award, executed an inside layup with a sweet feed from a former teammate, Kyrie Irving to give Team LeBron a one-point lead, 146-145 with 34.5 seconds to bag the victory. The award marks the third MVP in his 14th season.
Back on the other end of the court DeMar DeRozan penetrated to the basket but threw the ball away when he attempted to kick the ball out to another player. That led to a turnover as Russell Westbrook took advantage of the defense on the opposite end of the court for a layup which gave Team LeBron a cushion, 148-145.
LeBron led all scorers with 29 points, Durant poured in 19, George tallied 16, and Beal added 14.
The fast-paced action watched Team Steph lead for most of the game. Draymond Green converted one of two free throws to increase Team Steph’s lead, 38-29 with 2:13 left in the first quarter. Soon after, Team Steph closed the quarter with an 11-point lead, 42-31.
DeRozan and Damien Lillard led Team Steph with 21 points each. Karl-Anthony Towns added 17.
The high scoring affair didn’t feature much sharing of the ball. Most of the sharing came during the flow of the transition game. Outside of that, it was each player creating or shooting the ball from an individual standpoint.
Giannis Antetokounmp finished a dunk and connected on one free throw of two, as Team Steph stretched its lead to 14-points, 45-31 with 11:10 to go in the second quarter. But over the next two and half minutes, that lead evaporated when LeBron threw down a vicious Alley Hoop dunk and drilled a trey to trim the lead, 50-45.
Team Steph clinked to a one-point lead several times, 51-52, 54-53 and 59-58 during the second quarter before Curry knock down a trey which gave it breathing room, 65-58 with 3:14. It looked as if Team Steph would enter halftime with a comfortable lead after Klay Thompson heated up, connecting on four three-pointers but Durant, Victor Oladipo, and Paul George combined for ten points to send the game to intermission with Team LeBron trailing, 78-76.
Durant opened the third quarter with a three-pointer to give Team LeBron its first lead, 79-78 since early in the first quarter. However, Team Steph answered with a run of its own. Joel Embiid stroked back-to-back three-points to help Team Steph take an 87-79 lead and over next five minutes, Team LeBron only scored four points.
Later in the quarter, Curry and Harden fired consecutive three-pointers before Bradley Beal connected on back-to-back treys for Team LeBron which gave it a 105-102 lead with 1:53 left in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Team Steph led by as many as 13-points, 133-120. Damien Lillard scored two jumpers, and DeRozan downed two free throws. Meanwhile, Team LeBron chipped away while time ticked down. Durant, Irving, and Westbrook all scored baskets to pull Team LeBron within a point, 139-140. Then trailing, 144-141, LeBron answered with a game tying trey that sent the crowd into a frenzy with under two minutes to play.
