Kevin Durant caught fire in the fourth quarter and helped lead Team LeBron to a 178-164 victory over Team Giannis, and more importantly it gave he and teammate Klay Thompson some bragging rights over Curry, who was the first pick by Team Giannis.
Durant finished with 31 points, shooting 10-for-15 from the floor and 6-for-9 on 3-pointers. That effort was good enough for the two-time NBA Finals MVP to win his second All-Star Game MVP – he won it for the first time as a member of the Thunder in 2012.
This being the second year of the NBA All-Star draft era, which replaced the traditional West vs. East format, Durant and Thompson suited up for Team LeBron, while Curry took the floor with Team Giannis.
Team LeBron’s highest scorers were a pair of Warriors. Durant had 31 points and Thompson came through with 20 points off the bench. Both Thompson and Durant had six 3-pointers, as the game had a combined 166 3-point attempts, a new All-Star record, and 52 makes.
Playing in his hometown of Charlotte, Stephen Curry came through with several incredible highlights on the way to a 17-point effort that also included nine rebounds and a game-high seven assists. On the receiving end of a good number of Curry’s assists was team captain Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 38 points and 11 rebounds.
Dubs in the All-Star Game
Team Giannis jumped out to the early lead, matching an All-Star Game record with 53 points in the first quarter. Curry knocked down two of his four 3-pointers in the second quarter and Team Giannis went into the half up 95-82.
The lead would grow to 20 in the third quarter before Team LeBron got back into the game behind some stellar 3-point shooting from Thompson, Bradley Beal and Oakland native Damian Lillard. Thompson knocked down a pair of 3-pointers during a 25-6 run, and by the time the quarter ended, Team LeBron was in front 132-131.
Curry delivered some thrilling moments in the fourth quarter, first making a four-point play at the expense of Thompson.
And capped the night with one of the game’s top dunks.
But the fourth quarter belonged to Durant and Team LeBron. The game’s MVP finished just as strong as he started - he made his first four shots and had 10 points in the first quarter. And in the final period, he knocked down three 3-pointers as Team LeBron outscored Team Giannis 96-69 in the second half and 46-33 in the final quarter.
The game brought an end to an eventful weekend for the NBA. From community work in Charlotte to Curry’s runner-up performance in Saturday’s 3-Point Contest to the crown jewel of All-Star Weekend, the Dubs did it big in the Queen City.