Celtics

Celtics’ Jayson Tatum is the star of stars, with a record 55 points and the MVP of the NBA All-Star Game

Jaylen Brown also led Team LeBron in scoring, but it wasn't enough to take down Tatum and Team Giannis.

By Tim Reynolds, Associated Press

February 19, 2023

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SALT LAKE CITY — 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, and Team Giannis ended LeBron James’s hold on All-Star captain supremacy by beating Team LeBron, 184-175, in the NBA’s annual showcase exhibition on Sunday night.

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.

It was James’s first loss in six times as captain. Antetokounmpo improved to 1-2 in his All-Star captaincies.

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.

The Celtics’ other star, Jaylen Brown, scored 35 points and had 14 rebounds for Team LeBron, Kyrie Irving had 32 points and 15 assists, and Joel Embiid finished with 32 points.

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Lillard, the winner of the 3-point contest on All-Star Saturday Night, made eight 3s — 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: No. 3 Karl Malone, No. 2 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.

“Precautionary reasons,” James said.

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.

“Whatever I have, I’m going to give,” Antetokounmpo said. “That’s who I am. That’s never going to change.”

As in past years, the teams played for charity, with Team LeBron raising money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah and Team Giannis for Raise the Future, which connects youth waiting in foster care with stable adults. Each team started with $150,000, with the first three quarters worth another $100,000 apiece and the All-Star Game winner getting another $150,000.

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.

Team Giannis won $700,000 for its charity, and Team LeBron won $200,000.