NBA-TEAM LeBRON vs. STEPHEN: LOS ANGELES: Team LeBron rallies to beat Team Stephen in All-Star classic
LeBron James of Team LeBron jumps to the basket for a dunk during the NBA All-Star Game 2018 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. AFP PHOTO
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LOS ANGELES: Team LeBron up-staged Team Stephen 148-145 in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday (Monday in Manila) in a thrilling duel that featured spectacular plays at both ends of the court by the game’s premier players.
Playing-captain LeBron James finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists to lead all scorers in front of a sold out crowd of 17,800 at Staples Center arena.
“It was a great weekend and we capped it off the right way,” said Cleveland Cavaliers James, who was also named MVP of the game for the third time in his career.
Team LeBron staged a second-half rally and then got the defensive stops they needed in the fourth quarter to win the mid-February classic after trailing by two points at the half.
This year the league decided to go to a new selection format for picking the teams to try and make the game more competitive and it worked.
“We wanted to change the narrative of the all-star game being a joke,” said Team LeBron’s Kevin Durant, who was MVP of the 2014 all-star game. “We wanted to make it a real basketball game.”
Last year in New Orleans, the Western Conference outgunned the East 192-182 in a game that lacked intensity and especially the clutch defensive plays that brought the Staples Center crowd to its feet on Sunday.
Under the new format, James and Stephen Curry, the top two all-star vote-getters, got to pick their teams from a pool of 22 available players. The first four picks had to come from the list of all-star starters.
Golden State Warriors star Durant tallied 19 points and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George delivered 16 points for Team LeBron.
Four-time all-star DeRozan, of the Toronto Raptors, and Portland Trail Blazers Damian Lillard each scored 21 points while Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves tallied 17 points and 10 rebounds for Team Stephen.
The 33-year-old James, who was playing in his 14th all-star game, scored the eventual winning basket on a finger roll layup with 34 seconds left in the fourth to make if 146-145.
James said the initial plan was to get the ball to Russell Westbrook and let him drive to the basket.
James claims All-Star Game MVP
James captured his third career NBA All-Star Game MVP.
James, who was also MVP in 2006 and 2008, made 12 of 17 field goal attempts in 31 minutes of playing time at Staples Center arena in downtown Los Angeles.
“I need to continue to show myself because every time I step on the floor I have to lead my guys or prove to myself that I am still able to play at a high level. I feel great,” said James, who is the All-Star Game’s all-time leading scorer with 343 points in 14 appearances.
James’s three MVPs ties him with Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson and Shaquille O’Neal. Kobe Bryant and Bob Pettit each won the award four times. / AFP BY AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ON
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LOS ANGELES—LeBron James finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists to capture his third career NBA All-Star Game MVP as Team LeBron stormed from behind to beat Team Stephen 148-145.
James, who was also MVP in 2006 and 2008, made 12 of 17 field goal attempts in 31 minutes of playing time at Staples Center arena in downtown Los Angeles.
“I need to continue to show myself because every time I step on the floor I have to lead my guys or prove to myself that I am still able to play at a high level. I feel great,” said James, who is the All-Star Game’s all-time leading scorer with 343 points in 14 appearances.
James’ three MVPs ties him with Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson and Shaquille O’Neal. Kobe Bryant and Bob Pettit each won the award four times.
James acted as the player-captain this year under a new selection format designed to eliminate the all-star game blowouts of the past few years.
