The NBA hoped for more competition but got a high-scoring affair instead—more points than ever before.
In the All-Star Game, the offense dominated once again. Damian Lillard, the All-Star MVP from the Milwaukee Bucks, scored 39 points as the Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference 211-186 on Sunday night. This set a new record for the highest-scoring game in the event’s 73-year history, surpassing the previous mark of 196 points by the West in 2016.
“We had fun,” said East captain Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks.
It was a game of record-breaking performances: the total of 397 points broke the previous record of 374 set in 2017, and the East’s 42 made 3-pointers surpassed the mark of 35 set by Team LeBron in 2019. The teams combined for 193 points in the first half, breaking last year’s record of 191, with the East tying the record for most points in a half with 104.
Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics scored 36 points, while Tyrese Haliburton from the hometown Indiana Pacers finished with 32 for the East. Antetokounmpo had 23 points, and Jayson Tatum scored 20.
Lillard commented, “To be able to have this kind of accomplishment, it’s special.”
Notably, Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves scored 50 points for the West in just 28 minutes, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder scored 31 points.
“The shot-making from the East was incredible,” said West forward Kevin Durant. “Hard to play defense when somebody’s shooting 30-, 40-footers over you.”
The West also scored heavily, with 186 points—the fourth-most by any team in All-Star history, and the most ever in a losing effort.
Other records from the game include the East attempting 97 3-pointers, the teams combining for 66 made 3s and 168 attempts, and a total of 163 field goals made and 289 attempted.
“Obviously, it wasn’t high intensity, at all,” said Haliburton.
Lillard made history by winning the 3-point shootout on Saturday night and then being named MVP on Sunday night. The only other player to achieve this feat in one weekend was Michael Jordan in 1988, when he won the dunk contest and MVP trophy.
“Tatum said Dame really impressed him, and he was happy for him.”
The game was full of impressive moments. In the third quarter, Lillard made a shot from halfcourt, while Doncic attempted a shot from about 70 feet that hit the top of the backboard. Towns even threw an alley-oop to Curry, who’s known more for his shooting than dunking, so he just laid it in.
In the fourth quarter, the focus was on breaking records. The East had already scored 160 points by the end of the third quarter, needing only 37 more to set a new All-Star record for points by a team. Brown’s 3-pointer with 1:54 left broke the mark, and Haliburton’s shot shortly after put the scoreboard over 200 points for the first time in official NBA history.
Lillard said the East was aiming for the record and went after it. He finished the game with a long 44-foot shot to close the scoring, making a total of 11 3-pointers with an average distance of over 31 feet.
Durant said he and Leonard were amazed watching Lillard’s performance from the West bench.
Defense was mostly absent, with only 14 steals and three blocked shots. The game felt more like a shooting practice. Haliburton’s quick succession of five 3-pointers in the first quarter set the tone for the high-scoring affair.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and others wanted a more competitive All-Star Game after last year’s lackluster performance, but the players seemed focused on entertaining the fans rather than intense competition. Nevertheless, the game showcased the players’ skills and talent.
Despite the lack of competitiveness, James noted the positive aspect that no players were injured during the game.
Up Coming
The 74th NBA All-Star Game is set for February 16, 2025, at the Chase Center in San Francisco, home of the Golden State Warriors. It’ll be the first time the game is held in the Bay Area since 2000.