NBA All-Star Game: Giannis Antetokounmpo MVP as Team LeBron beat Team Durant 170-150

“The bank, usually it’s closed on Sundays, but not for me. For me it was open with extended hours.” – By Madellene Markit.

If there is a time to shoot a perfect record, the NBA All-Star game is it and Giannis Antetokounmpo did just that.

His 16-for-16, including a 3-for-3 on three-pointers saw him finish with a game-high 35 points – and the Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player (MVP) award – as Team LeBron defeated Team Durant 170-150 in the annual exhibition game.

But this was an All-Star game like no other. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, there was barely a crowd, no front-row celebrities, to witness the magic unfold in person at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena.

Yet in the end, it was the same. A LeBron James team won – extending his record to 4-0 as an All-Star captain.

“I always try to pick the right team, and I’ve been lucky enough for four years to pick the right team,” James said. “Guys go out and compete and play to win. I’ve been on the winning side of all four.”

Antetokounmpo’s 100% record saw him fly to the top of the record standings, achieving the best shooting performance in NBA All-Star history.

“I’m just having fun,” Antetokounmpo said. “Sometimes when you’re having fun and not thinking about the outcome, you just let your instincts take over.”

“My team played great, and I was able to just win it and to have the trophy with the name of Kobe Bryant, it’s amazing, and I know he would be happy. Yeah, I know he’d be happy.”

Team LeBron took command of the game in the second quarter with a 27-8 flurry inside the last four minutes, taking a 100-80 lead into half-time.

They extended that to 146-125 by the end of the third quarter, with Team Durant only coming within 15 points of their opponents in the final period.

Chris Paul posted a game-high of 16 assists, while Bradley Beal top-scored for Kevin Durant’s side with 26 points.

James – who led the Los Angeles Lakers to last season’s NBA title – only appeared in the first half, scoring just four points on 2-for-7 shooting, including missed dunks, before taking himself off.