LeBron James suffered his first loss as captain at the NBA All-Star Game when Team Giannis, led by Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, won 184-175 in Salt Lake City.
Antetokounmpo didn’t contribute much, but that was to be expected given that he basketed the opening tip for the first basket of the game and then checked out. He’s struggling with a wrist injury.
But James was also unavailable for much of that game as he sustained a hand injury. James attempted a block on Toronto Raptors big man Pascal Siakam and caught his hand on the edge.
With those two, someone had to step up and be the star of the night, and the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum was that man.
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Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics reacts during the third quarter of the 2023 NBA All Star Game between Team Giannis and Team LeBron at Vivint Arena on February 19, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
Tatum won the All-Star Game MVP award after dropping an impressive 55 points to help Team Giannis secure the win.
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Tatum’s 55, who came off the field 22 of 31, including 10 of 18 of three, broke the All-Star Game record for points scored. Anthony Davis set the record at 52 in 2017 while playing for the New Orleans Pelicans.
And here’s another fun stat: Tatum is the first player in NBA history to score more than 50 points in a regular season game, a playoff game, and the NBA All-Star Game.
LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the first quarter of the 2023 NBA All Star Game between Team Giannis and Team LeBron at Vivint Arena on February 19, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell was also a key member of Team Giannis, scoring 40 points on 15 of 25 from the field, with 10 assists and four rebounds. Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard also hit eight three-pointers in the game, including the final basket, to give Team Giannis the win. He finished with 26 points.
For Team LeBron, James had 13 points before not playing the entire second half. The top scorer for his group was a reserve as Jaylen Brown, Tatum’s Celtics teammate, dropped 35 to 16 from 27 from the field.
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The Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid and the Dallas Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving both finished with 32 points.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, playing in his first All-Star game, finished 4 of 6 of 3 and finished the evening with 18 points.
Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics shoots during the third quarter of the 2023 NBA All Star Game between Team Giannis and Team LeBron at Vivint Arena on February 19, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
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One surprise was Mavericks star Luka Doncic, the current NBA’s top scorer at 33.3 ppg, who finished with just four points for Team LeBron.
The regular season enters the second half on Thursday evening.
Scott Thompson is a sportswriter at Fox News Digital.
Source: www.foxnews.com
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