The Western Conference All Star team defeated the Eastern Conference team 197-182 in a record-setting All Star game that had plenty of emotions and highlights, but lacked defensive effort and discipline.
To the delight of local fans, the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis stole the show with a 52-point scoring performance that beat the record of 42 set by Wilt Chamberlain 55 years ago and earned him MVP honors. Davis had said days before the event, that he was focused on winning the award for the city of New Orleans and would give his best effort to make it a reality.
Although the game lacked in defensive effort, the fans enjoyed watching the scoring duel between Davis and Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook who competed all game long to end as the scoring leader of the game. In the end Davis outscored Westbrook’s 41 points and made sure the MVP trophy stayed in Louisiana.
This is the third All Star game in a row that the Western Conference wins to improve its record to 29 wins and 37 losses.
The historic game set many records, including 103 assist and 372 points by both teams; to make it the highest scoring game ever, although it’s important to point out that this was possible because this was basically a show.
With each passing year, it gets clearer that this is an event where more and more players don’t care about defending and turn the game into an offensive extravaganza.
Nonetheless, it will be tough to break all the records set in this one. Davis asked his fellow Western Conference teammates to feed him the ball to help him put together the MVP-worthy performance and boy they did not disappoint. They constantly looked his way to help him break the record and win the MVP trophy.
The East also helped with a lax defense and what looked like a lack of interest by its players in competing scoring-wise with Davis.
The only exception to the rule was All Star game rookie Giannis Antetokounmpo, of the Milwaukee Bucks, who showed an unwavering intensity and a determination to score as many points as he could in order to prove that he belongs in these events. Not surprisingly, he ended as the scoring leader for the East with 30 points while also getting 3 steals, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block.
Kyrie Irving of the Cavaliers broke the record for more assists by a player (14) while his teammate LeBron James scored 23 to take his total in 13 All Star games to 314, the most in league history.
