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Tim BontempsESPN
Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks star, won his first prize for the most valuable player in the NBA All-Star Game, while LeBron’s team won the first 16-for-16 performance on the field – including multi-jump banking. passed to 170-150 victory over Durant team on Sunday night in Atlanta.
“You know, it’s usually closed [on Sundays]”Antetokounmpo said with a smile when asked about the registered jumpers,” but for me it was open. “
In a game that LeBron controlled from start to finish, it was Antetokounmpo (who finished with a maximum score of 35 points), Stephen Curry (28 points and eight 3 points) and Damian Lillard (32 points and hit the 3-pointer closing game) that led the way. The three fought for the MVP trophy until the end, with Antetokounmpo winning it in the end.
At 100%, Antetokounmpo recorded the best target percentage in an All-Star game, with a minimum of 10 attempts. The previous record for most unbeaten marks went to Hal Greer, who went 8-for-8 in the 1968 All-Star Game.
“It’s fun,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s fun. I was happy, my teammates had fun and, being just around some great players, I’m easy to play with.”
This All-Star game, like everything else this season, has inevitably been altered by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Originally scheduled to be in Indianapolis, he was moved to Atlanta instead. Only a handful of fans were in the stands, and strict quarantines were in place for everyone involved.
However, that didn’t stop the virus from infiltrating the event, as tracking contacts forced Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons on the Philadelphia 76ers to be taken out of the league by the league – and potentially kept away from the Sixers when the second half of the season begins on Thursday.
The situation involving Embiid and Simmons was the exact example of NBA commissioner Adam Silver, mentioned on Saturday when he discussed why, he believes, most NBA players will eventually receive the vaccine. While Silver said the NBA will not mandate players to receive the vaccine if they are vaccinated, they will no longer have to quarantine – and thus not be able to play – if they come in contact with someone who gives the test. positive for COVID- 19.
But when LeBron James was asked about the vaccination on Sunday afternoon during media availability before the game, he declined to say whether he would receive it.
“This is a conversation that my family and I are going to have. We really keep this a private matter,” James said. “Obviously I saw Adam comment on the vaccination. But things like that, when you decide to do something, it’s a conversation between you and your family and not for everyone. I’ll keep it that way.”
James, who said earlier last month that the NBA’s choice to host an All-Star game amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was a “slap” last month, following his other quote about the game. day.
“I’ll be there if I’m selected,” James said. – But I’ll be there physically, but not mentally.
James, who has scored no less than 13 points in any of All-Star’s 16 previous appearances, had just 4 points in 2-for-7 shooting – including blowing on two wide-open layouts – in 13 minutes . However, his teams are now 4-0, as the league has moved to the current format of choosing the first two voters to choose their teams in 2018.
The LeBron team donated more than $ 1 million to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, while the Durant team donated $ 500,000 to the United Negro College Fund.
Atlanta native Jaylen Brown hit a 3-pointer with 1:33 left in the first quarter to finally give LeBron a victory in the first quarter. The second was much less competitive, as a 27-8 half over the last 3:54 of the second allowed LeBron to take an overall lead of 20 points in the break.
The LeBron team also won the third quarter by one point and took a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter – which means that with “Elam Ending”, the LeBron team simply had to score 24 points before Durant scores 45.
The only drama left at the time would be whether Antetokounmpo, Curry or – after a late indictment, Lillard – would eventually win the All-Star MVP trophy for the first time. But while Curry had a chance to end the game with a triple on the halfway line and missed, on the next trip down, Lillard came out of the midfield line and buried him.
In the end, however, the Greek Freak and his perfect night won the day.