After being down big in the first half, Team LeBron explodes in the second half of the NBA All-Star game to come away with a win over Team Giannis.
Kevin Durant scored 31 points to win the game’s MVP as Team LeBron had a furious second-half comeback to defeat Team Giannis in the All-Star Game, 178-164. Team LeBron outscored Team Giannis by 27 to stage the comeback.
The game featured some great dunks, passes, and 168 3-point attempts in what was another entertaining showcase between the NBA’s best.
Team Giannis dominated most of the first half, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo who had 20 points at the break including many thunderous and gravity-defying dunks. The highlight of the game may have been the alley-oop he connected with Stephen Curry on that brought down the house.
Antetokounmpo finished with a game-high 38 points and chipped in 11 rebounds and five assists in the losing effort. Paul George and Khris Middleton had 20 points apiece, and Russell Westbrook and Curry each had 17 points for Team Giannis.
Team LeBron got the comeback started with a barrage of 3-pointers.
Durant, Klay Thompson, Damian Lillard, and Kawhi Leonard each hit at least five 3-pointers and helped spark the comeback for Team LeBron. Their ball movement was tremendous in the second half, and they even began to play some defense which is usually unheard of in the NBA All-Star Game.
There were amazing moments during the game, but none of them were better than this dose of nostalgia featuring former teammates, Dwyane Wade and LeBron, who had 19 points and eight rebounds but was 1-8 from 3-point range.
The two won two NBA championships during the Miami Heat’s incredible run from 2010-2014, Wade was a ceremonial pick by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver who also picked Dirk Nowitzki who drained all three of his 3-point shots in four minutes, scoring nine points. Wade had seven points in 10 minutes.
The 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend lived up to the hype, and we’re looking forward to a great second half of the NBA season.
Chicago hosts the 2020 NBA All-Star Game.