Curry hot, Team LeBron wins All-Star Game

Stephen Curry scored 50 points and set an All-Star Game record with 16 3-point baskets to give Team LeBron a 163-160 victory over Team Durant in Cleveland.

Curry, playing for Team LeBron, shattered the former All-Star record of nine 3-pointers, set by Paul George in 2016.

The Golden State Warriors’ star fell two points shy of the scoring record set by Anthony Davis in 2017 but still took home MVP honours with his dazzling performance.

“I got hot early and kept scoring,” Curry said. “Then I tried to put on a little bit of a show.

“It’s fun. It’s great because when I get going, the energy picks up and I think the game turned in the right direction after that.”

The MVP honour is the first for Curry, an eight-time All-Star. His previous best scoring output was 28.

“It was definitely was something I wanted to experience,” Curry said of adding another milestone to his resume.

“Once I knew I was feeling it, I wanted to ride that wave and see how it ended up.”

Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers had 36 points and 10 rebounds to lead Team Durant.

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers hit the game-ending shot to reach the target score and give Team LeBron the victory.

After hitting the winning basket, James slid to the side of the court to talk with legendary Michael Jordan, who was in the venue due to the NBA honouring the league’s 75th anniversary team at halftime.

“It’s crazy that the game-winning shot was a fadeaway and it was inspired by MJ,” James said.

“The way he wore his shoes, the way he wore his uniform, all the way down to some of the cars that he drove, is how much he inspired me and I didn’t want to waste that opportunity because we aren’t in the same building a lot.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks had 30 points and 12 rebounds for Team LeBron.

James scored 24 points while playing in his 18th All-Star Game, one shy of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record.

The third quarter ended with Team Durant holding a 139-138 lead.

That set the target winning score at 163 with the NBA adding 24 points to the leading total after three quarters.

It is the third straight year the formula has been part of the game.

Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine scored five straight points for Team Durant before James drained the 17-foot fadeaway jumper that gave his team the required 163 points.

Curry attempted 27 3-pointers and was 17 of 30 overall from the field.

Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns played 2:19 for Team LeBron despite having a fractured right thumb that will sideline him for six to eight weeks.

Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz missed the contest due to a non-COVID illness.

Also, injured Kevin Durant (knee) of the Brooklyn Nets didn’t partake in the festivities due to the death of his grandmother earlier on Sunday.

– with Reuters

Curry hot, Team LeBron wins All-Star Game
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