Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of Team James is presented the MVP award after his team defeated Team Durant in the 70th NBA All-Star Game at State Farm Arena on March 07, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Kevin C. Cox / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
Giannis Antetokounmpo made all 16 of his shots in a historic 35-point performance Sunday night that propelled Team LeBron to a 170-150 victory over Team Durant in the NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta.
🔥 35 PTS for @Giannis_An34
🔥 16-16 FGM (#NBAAllStar Game record)
Giannis Antetokounmpo leads #TeamLeBron to victory, winning the 2021 NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP Award! #KiaAllStarMVP pic.twitter.com/QjaUgBYY9R
— NBA (@NBA) March 8, 2021
After earlier capturing the NBA 3-Point Contest, Stephen Curry bombed in six 3-pointers in the first half and eight in all, totaling 28 points for Team LeBron, which won each of the first three quarters en route to a 146-125 lead that it massaged into the winning margin.
Each team lost a player when it was announced earlier in the day that Philadelphia 76ers stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons would not be allowed to play due to COVID tracing. Each had gotten a haircut Saturday from a barber who subsequently tested positive.
Twenty-year-old Zion Williamson replaced Embiid in the Team Durant starting lineup, becoming the fourth-youngest starter in NBA history.
The win was the fourth in a row for the team selected by LeBron James under a revised roster dispersal that started in 2018. James played just 13 minutes in the first half before sitting out the entire second half with the game relatively in hand.
#TeamLeBron👑 does it again!! YESSIR!!! Congrats MVP @Giannis_An34 👏🏾🙏🏾
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 8, 2021
Down 146-125 after three periods, the closest Team Durant got in the fourth quarter was 15.
Durant did not play in the game because of a hamstring injury.
Team LeBron took command of the game with a 27-8 flurry over the final 3:54 of the second quarter.
Damian Lillard contributed 11 points, Curry seven, Antetokounmpo five and Chris Paul four to go with five assists as they did all the scoring in a burst that turned a one-point lead into a 100-80 halftime advantage.
Antetokounmpo’s 16-for-16 game doubled the previous All-Star record of the Philadelphia 76ers’ Hal Greer, who made all eight of his shots in the 1968 in-season classic.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 35 points on 16-16 shooting in the 2021 #NBAAllStar game.
That is the most makes without a miss over an entire All-Star game. The previous record was held by Hal Greer going 8-8 in 1968. pic.twitter.com/Rr4AV38coS
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) March 8, 2021
For his effort, Antetokounmpo, who was 3-for-3 on 3-pointers, was selected as the game’s Most Valuable Player.
Lillard finished with 32 points, Jaylen Brown 22 and Paul George 17 for Team LeBron. Paul added team-highs in assists with 16 and rebounds with eight.
🚨⌚️ LOGO LILLARD CALLS GAME FROM HALFCOURT!
Dame's 8TH three of the #NBAAllStar Game WINS it for #TeamLeBron! pic.twitter.com/9ZdsurzZBQ
— NBA (@NBA) March 8, 2021
Bradley Beal had 26 points to pace Team Durant.
Kyrie Irving had 24 points and 12 assists in the losing effort, while James Harden and Jayson Tatum chipped in with 21 points, Donovan Mitchell 15 and Zach LaVine 13.
Kawhi Leonard was Team Durant’s leading rebounder with nine to complement eight points and eight assists.