SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Jayson Tatum put on a record-setting show, and made Giannis Antetokounmpo look like a genius.
Tatum scored an All-Star Game-record 55 points on his way to winning MVP honours, and Team Giannis ended LeBron James’ hold on All-Star captain supremacy by beating Team LeBron 184-175 in the NBA’s annual showcase exhibition early yesterday.
Tatum had 27 points in the third quarter, another All-Star Game record for any period. He was the first pick by Antetokounmpo in the starters’ portion of the All-Star draft, and in the end, that pick proved to be the right one.
And the MVP award Tatum was given is named for Kobe Bryant, one of his heroes.
“It means the world,” Tatum said. “You think of all the legends and great players that have played this game, and in all honesty, records are made to be broken. I’ll hold it for as long as I can, but I’m certain someone will come along in a couple years and try to break it.”
Tatum broke Anthony Davis’ All-Star record of 52 points. He was 22 of 31 from the floor, plus had 10 rebounds and six assists.
It was James’ first loss in six times as captain. Antetokounmpo improved to 1-2 in his All-Star captaincies, and became the first captain to hoist a new trophy presented to the winners of the All-Star Game.
Antetokounmpo said he had a reason for choosing Tatum.
“I knew he would take it serious. It was a no-brainer,” he said.
Donovan Mitchell added 40 for Team Giannis, which got 26 points from Damian Lillard – including the game-winner to push his team past the target score.
Jaylen Brown scored 35 points and had 14 rebounds for Team LeBron, while Kyrie Irving had 32 points and 15 assists and Joel Embiid finished with 32 points.
Brown and Tatum – Boston teammates – were revelling in a back-and-forth duel during the second half. “It was a normal day for us,” Tatum said. “Just millions of people watching.”
Lillard, the winner of the three-point contest on All-Star Saturday Night, made eight threes – including a halfcourt pullup in the third quarter.
The league had a ceremony before the second half to pay tribute to the three leading scorers in NBA history: number three Karl Malone, number two Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James, now the game’s career leader after he passed Abdul-Jabbar earlier this month.
Malone and Abdul-Jabbar were brought to the stage, and then Dwyane Wade – James’ former teammate in Miami and now a part-owner of the Jazz – introduced James to bring him onto the platform.
“We’ve all been witnesses,” Wade said. “No matter the challenge, no matter the noise, he was relentless.”
With the number 38,388 displayed behind him, James then raised his hand to thank the fans for their ovation, hugged Abdul-Jabbar and Malone. He didn’t return to the game, his night ending with a right hand contusion.
He finished with 13 points, and said a chasedown block in the first half led to him getting a finger caught in the rim.
James played a half. The game’s other captain didn’t play a half-minute.
Antetokoumpo drafted his team before the game, went through warmups (such as they were) and started the game as planned.
But his right wrist was wrapped, and that was an ominous sign. The injury kept him out of All-Star Saturday’s skills event, limited him to 20 seconds in this one.
He got an uncontested dunk to open the game, then took a foul and headed to the bench.
The teams were tied at 46-46 in the first quarter, and Team Giannis took the second quarter 53-46.
Team Giannis also won the third quarter 59-49, and the cumulative score to that point – 158-141, Team Giannis – meant 182 would be the score to reach in the untimed fourth quarter with a target-score ending.
