Reporting from LA: Nikos Varlas/ varlas@erurohoops.net
Thanks to two great defensive plays in the final seconds, Team LeBron beat Team Steph 148-145. Steph Curry had the last possession, but he couldn’t attempt a shot with James and Kevin Durant being all over him. The game ended with the ball at DeMar DeRozan’s hands as time ran out.
In his 14th All-Star Game, Lebron was two assists shy of a triple-double (29 p., 10 r., 8 as.) and set the tone on the way to the win and him getting the MVP award, the third of his career. It was a game that in the end felt more like a playoffs contest than an exhibition. “I think that myself and Steph took it upon ourselves with the new format to make the game competitive because the last couple of years it wasn’t”, said LeBron.
Slovenian Goran Dragic added two points, four rebounds and one assist for the winning side.
DeRozan and Damian Lillard scored 21 points each, while the Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo added 16 points, seven rebounds and two assists.