SteemSports Presenter:
SteemSports Editor:
The NBA’s best talent was showcased in the All-Star game on Sunday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. The format for the exhibition game changed this year. Instead of each conference’s best players playing against each other, the league decided to have a fantasy draft of all players voted into the game, headed by Cleveland’s Lebron James and Golden State’s Stephen Curry.
Team Stephen jumped out to a 42-31 lead after one period, behind Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns 11 points. Team Stephen built their lead to fifteen early in the second quarter, at which point Team Lebron came roaring back behind a 20-4 run to take a 53-52 lead. Team Steph countered in the last three minutes with a 11-0 run to build a twelve point lead. Team Lebron was able to cut their deficit to two points before the end of the half, trailing 78-76.
Both teams clamped down on defense in the third quarter as neither team was able to build more than a seven point lead as Team Steph held a three point lead heading in to the final frame.
Team Steph made, what would be, their final run of the game early in the fourth quarter, sparking a 9-0 run to take a 133-120 lead midway through the quarter. Team Lebron answered with a 24-11 run to the game at 144 after a Lebron James step back three pointer with under a minute left. After Toronto’s DeMar Derozan split a pair of free throws for Team Stephen, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook attacked the basket, finding Boston’s Kyrie Irving behind the basket to, in turn, dumped the ball off to Lebron James who finished a contested layup to take a 146-145 lead.
After a James Harden missed three point attempt, Team Lebron’s Russel Westbrook capitalized in transition, attacking the basket for an aggressive layup, putting his team up 148-145 with ten seconds left. On the final possession, Steph Curry received the inbounds pass. Guarded by Lebron James, Curry made a move to the right baseline, where he was smothered in the corner by a Kevin Durant-Lebron James trap, not allowing Team Steph to attempt a shot to tie the game as Team Lebron emerged victorious 148-145.
Cleveland’s Lebron James was named the MVP carding a near triple-double (29p, 10r, 8a) and making numerous defensive plays down the stretch for his team. Toronto’s DeMar Derozan and Portland’s Damian Lillard led Team Stephen with 21 points each in the loss.
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