Sunday's NBA All-Star Game was an extension of Saturday's 3-point contest.
Local All-Stars Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard performed from long range with little resistance as the Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference 211-186. Lillard, fresh off his second straight win in the 3-point contest, earned MVP honors on a 39-point night.
The East effort marked the first 200-point performance in All-Star Game history in a contest that was more like an exhibition than a competitive game. The previous scoring record was 196 points for the Western team in 2016.
As usual in recent All-Star Games, defense was critical as the West could do little to remain competitive after the East increased its lead to 53-47 in the first quarter. Similarly, the East side showed little strength defensively, and although the West lost, they came close to breaking the previous All-Star Game scoring record.
Haliburton got off to a great start in his first appearance as an All-Star starter, hitting five 3-pointers in 92 seconds to give the East a 20-14 advantage. This breakthrough made the Pacers guard an early MVP candidate for the Indianapolis All-Star Game.
However, Lillard held his own until the second quarter, entering halftime with 22 points on 6-of-11 3-point shots. At that point, East led 104-89 in the highest-scoring first half in All-Star Game history.
In the third quarter, Lillard showed off his incredible range with a 3-point shot from half court.
Lillard and Haliburton continued to attack each other in the second half with little resistance from Western Conference defenders.
Lillard rested for most of the fourth quarter and finished with 39 points and six assists on 11-of-23 3-point shooting.
Haliburton finished with 32 points on 10-of-14 3-point shooting, seven rebounds and six assists.
When NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced after the game that Lillard would be named MVP, the Indianapolis crowd greeted the decision with boos.
Silver didn't seem too keen on the scoring spree as he presented the championship trophy to Eastern Conference captain Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“Eastern Conference All-Stars, you scored the most points,” Silver said. “Well, congratulations.”
In the end, East's players combined for 42-of-97 (43.3%) 3-pointers, breaking the previous record of 36 by a single team in an All-Star Game. Jaylen Brown had a shooting show, scoring 36 points off the bench and making 6 of 12 from long range.
West's Karl-Anthony Towns responded off the bench with a game-high 50 points, eight rebounds and three assists, hitting 23-of-35 from the floor and 4-of-13 from long range.
He scored his 50th point with a come-from-behind 3-pointer in the final minute of the game.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 points, six assists and four rebounds. His and Towns' efforts did little to counter the long-range onslaught from the East.
East shot 56.8 percent from the field and had eight players score in double figures. The West shot 55.9% from the field, but couldn't match the East's long-range prowess, hitting 25-of-71 (35.2%). For the West, seven players scored in double figures.
His 67 total 3-point shots also set an All-Star Game record, surpassing the 62 made in 2019. Both teams attempted a combined five free throws.
