After the ring competition was a big disappointment, the All-Star celebration culminates with all the heavy guns of the best league in the world. Well, all but one: Kevin Durant. Without the injured Brooklyn star, the All-Star game was being held at this time between the teams that selected Baron James and Durant.
The All-Star Game was held in Cleveland after LeBron said he did not rule out a return to the team that led to the historic championship in 2016 and he will no doubt be happy to star in front of the home crowd. So who is trying to help him? A week and a half ago, the All-Star draft was drawn up and the King James quintet includes him and Steph Kerry, Damar Druzen, Yannis Antokompo and Nikola Jukic, while on the other hand, Trey Young, Ja Morant, Jason Taitum (instead of Durant), Andrew Wiggins and Joel Ambide.
The All-Star game maintained its format, which means that the fourth quarter has no time limit, but the game will come to an end as soon as one of the teams reaches a certain number of points: 24 in addition to the amount of the leading team at the end of the third quarter.
The current format in which All-Star teams are selected in a two-star draft began in 2018 and since then all the time LeBron has won – twice Antocompo and once Steph Kerry and Durant. Last year it ended 150: 170 for LeBron’s team when Yannis was named MVP with 35 points.
Kevin Durant, who was not originally scheduled to take part in the game itself due to injury, will be absent from all events and at their center is a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the league that will take place in the half, following the death of his grandmother. Donovan Mitchell will also not take part in the game due to a non-Corona illness. And if we are talking about bad news, the Phoenix Suns have been informed that star Chris Paul is suffering from a thumb crisis and he will be out for between six and eight weeks.
Tim LeBron: Coach – Monty Williams. Quintet – Steph Kerry, Damar Druzen, LeBron James, Yannis Antokompo and Nikola Jukic. Bench – Donovan Mitchell (injured), James Harden, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, Fred Van Wallit, Luca Doncic, Jimmy Butler, Chris Paul (injured).
Tim Durant: Coach – Eric Sposaltra. Quintet – Jason Taitum, Andrew Wiggins, Trey Young, Ja Morant, Joel Ambide. Bench – Kevin Durant (injured), Drymond Green (injured), Lamello Bull, Jonta Marie, Zack Lavine, Rudy Gober, Chris Middleton, Devin Booker, Carl Anthony Towns.
First quarter:
Tim LeBron Quintet: Steph Kerry, Damar Drusen, LeBron James, Yannis Antokompo and Nikola Jukic.
Tim Durant Quintet: Trey Young, Ja Morant, Jason Taitum (replacing Kevin Durant), Andrew Wiggins and Joel Ambide.
The first ball fell into the hands of Joel Ambide, but the first points were from Yannis Antocompo who sank after a fine delivery from LeBron.