Points records fall in East's NBA All-Star Game win as Damian Lillard crowned MVP and Karl-Anthony Towns hits 50
The NBA wanted more competition. It got more points instead -- more than ever before.
And once again, the All-Star Game was all offence.
All-Star MVP Damian Lillard scored 39 points and the Eastern Conference beat the Western Conference 211-186 on Monday (AEDT), with the winners putting up the most points in the game’s 73-year history. The previous mark: 196 by the West in 2016.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“We had fun,” East captain and Lillard’s Milwaukee Bucks teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo said.
It was a flurry of records: The total points of 397 smashed the record of 374 set in 2017, while the East made 42 three-pointers to break the mark of 35 set by Team LeBron in 2019. The sides combined for 193 points in the first half to break the any-half record of 191 set last year, and the East tied an any-half record by scoring 104 by intermission.
Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics had 36 points and Tyrese Haliburton from the hometown Indiana Pacers finished with 32 for the East, while Antetokounmpo had 23 and Jayson Tatum finished with 20.
“To be able to have this kind of accomplishment, it’s special,” Lillard, who drained 11 three-pointers on the night, said.
Perhaps unnoticed: Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves scored 50 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder scored 31 in defeat.
The West, at 186, had the fourth-most by any team in All-Star history and obviously, the most ever in a loss.
Lillard made some history, too. He defended his three-point shootout title on Saturday night -- then won MVP on Sunday night. The only other player to win a Saturday event and All-Star MVP in the same weekend was Michael Jordan in 1988, when he won the dunk contest as well as the MVP trophy.
“Dame put on a show,” Jayson Tatum said, “and I was happy for him.”
The East had 160 points through three quarters, only needing 37 more to set the team All-Star record.
Brown’s triple with 1:54 left broke the mark and Haliburton made the shot that sent a scoreboard to the 200-point mark for the first time in any sort of official NBA history.
Fun was had, and LeBron James -- in his 20th All-Star Game, extending his record -- said there was one big takeaway.
“The good thing that came out of tonight is none of the players were injured,” James said.
“Everybody came out unscathed.”
Except the scoreboard, perhaps.
OTHER NBA ALL-STAR RECORDS TO FALL:
-- The East tried 97 three-pointers (previous record was 90 by Team LeBron in 2019)
-- The teams combined for 66 threes made and 168 triples attempted (previous records were 62 and 167 in 2019).
-- The teams combined for 163 field goals made and 289 attempted (previous records were 162 in 2017 and 286 in 2016).
