(Football news) Jayson Tatum put on a record-setting show, as he made Giannis Antetokounmpo look like a genius after he drafted him before the game. Tatum scored an All-Star Game-record 55 points on his way to winning MVP honors, and Team Giannis ended LeBron James’ hold on All-Star captain supremacy by beating Team LeBron 184-175 in the NBA’s annual s exhibition on Sunday night. Tatum scored 27 points in the third quarter which was another All-Star Game record for any period. He was the first pick by Antetokounmpo in the starters’ portion of the All-Star draft, and in the end, that pick proved to be the right one.
Tatum broke Anthony Davis’ All-Star record of 52 points. He was 22 of 31 from the floor, plus had 10 rebounds and six assists. It was James’ first loss in six times as captain. Antetokounmpo improved to 1-2 in his All-Star captaincies and became the first captain other than Lebron to hoist the trophy presented to the winners of the All-Star Game. For Giannis’ team, Donovan Mitchell added 40 points as they got 26 points from Damian Lillard, including the game-winner to push his team past the target score. For team Lebron, Jaylen Brown scored 35 points and had 14 rebounds while Kyrie Irving had 32 points and 15 assists and Joel Embiid finished with 32 points.
”It means the world,” Tatum said. ”You think of all the legends and great players that have played this game, and in all honesty, records are made to be broken. I’ll hold it for as long as I can, but I’m certain someone will come along in a couple years and try to break it.”
”That was the worst basketball game I’ve ever seen,” Team LeBron coach Michael Malone said, clearly poking fun at the defense-optional event.
Winning coach Joe Mazzulla of Team Giannis said he had a very simple strategy. ”Stay out of the way, enjoy it, have fun, allow the guys to just be themselves,” Mazzulla said. ”I think it’s important, especially in this league, that guys are just able to be themselves.”
In the Slam Dunk Contest Mac McClung won the competition even though he technically isn’t in the NBA. But that will change if the Sixers are just as impressed with their G-League player as the judges were Saturday. Mac McClung executed a perfect 50s on all but one of his dunks to win the contest over Trey Murphy III of the Pelicans in the final. In his final dunk, McClung delivered a 360-degree dunk which earned him a hug from Dominique Wilkins, a two-time dunk contest winner and one of the judges. For that dunk, McClung, who’s only 6-2 and 180 pounds, wore his high school jersey which he broke Allen Iverson’s Virginia scoring record at Gate City High.
In his third career appearance in the event, Damian Lillard won 3-point Contest winner as he edged out Buddy Hield and third-year guard Tyrese Haliburton in the final round of the competition, and it was his accuracy on the “Starry” shots in the end that made all the difference. Lillard is known for his clutch play and he knocked down two shots from “Starry” range, and those buckets counted for three points apiece in the final round as he edged out Hield 26-25. Lillard’s last attempt from the corner with a two-point money ball gave him the victory.
Also read: NBA: Clippers win over Suns while Bucks prevail over the Bulls before the All Star Break
