Team Giannis emerged victorious as they defeated Team LeBron 184–175 in Sunday’s NBA All Star Game at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, handing the latter their first-ever loss in an All-Star Game.
#TeamGiannis WINS the 2023 #NBAAllStar Game!
They earn a total of $550,000 for @RaiseFuture, while #TeamLeBron earns $200,000 for @bbbsutah.#KiaAllStarMVP Jayson Tatum set an All-Star Game record with 55 POINTS! pic.twitter.com/zvjYndZvth
— NBA (@NBA) February 20, 2023
In a first-of-its-kind pre-game draft that saw team captains Giannis Antetokounmpo (East) and LeBron James (West) pick their preferred players just before the game, Antetokounmpo went first and James second as they took turns selecting their teams from the available list of reserves, then reversed order for picking starters.
The crowd inside the Utah Jazz’s arena was left shocked when James drafted his former teammate, Kyrie Irving, with his second pick among the starters, while Giannis drafted Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, two players who were traded for each other over the last summer.
Before the game, Los Angeles Lakers superstar and 19-time All-Star James was honoured with a ceremony for surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
The 38-year-old was unable to finish the game as he picked up a hand injury while trying to block Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam. He managed only 14 minutes and finished with 13 points, four rebounds and an assist.
Also, Antetokounmpo did not play the whole game as he was still nursing a hand injury he picked up in the Milwaukee Bucks’ last game. The Greek Freak started and scored the game’s first points with a dunk 15 seconds into the matchup before committing a foul and being replaced by Bam Adebayo.
The game started off with lots of 3-point attempts, attacks at the basket, and showtime dunks with little to no resistance from either team on defense.
55 PTS (NBA All-Star Game Record)
10 REB
6 AST
10 3PMJayson Tatum balled out to lead #TeamGiannis to the win and claim 2023 #KiaAllStarMVP!#NBAAllStar | @Kia pic.twitter.com/k4EXJHtTgz
— NBA (@NBA) February 20, 2023
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum set a record for the most points scored in an All-Star Game with 55 points, scoring 22 of 31 attempts along with ten rebounds to win the much-coveted Kobe Bryant MVP award.
⭐️ JAYSON TATUM MVP ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/RumC0JOdcC
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 20, 2023
Team Giannis ran away with the win in the second half as Tatum scored an All-Star record 27 points in the third quarter and added another 18 in the fourth quarter.
Mitchell helped Team Giannis with 40 points along with eight 3-pointers, while Portland Trailblazers guard and winner of the Starry 3-point contest, Damian Lillard, came off the bench to supply 26 points and also scored eight 3-pointers.
Celtics forward Jaylen Brown, who returned from injury, led Team LeBron in scoring with 35 points off the bench, while Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) and Kyrie Irving (Dallas Mavericks) combined for 64 points by scoring 32 apiece.
The 2024 All-Star Game, which will be 73rd annual edition will be held in Indianapolis at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the home of the Pacers on Sunday, February 18.
#NBAAllStar 2024 is in Indianapolis, IN! The 73rd annual NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 18, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Pacers. pic.twitter.com/kXDmqRhZpI
— #NBAAllStar (@NBAAllStar) February 20, 2023
