NBA All-Star Game Breaches Historic Scoring Milestone

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Facts

  • The NBA All-Star Game saw the first team in league history to score 200 or more points in a single game as the Eastern Conference took down the Western Conference in Sunday’s battle.1
  • The typically high-scoring event ended with the East winning 211 to 186 and Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks taking home the game's Most Valuable Player award MVP.2
  • NBA All-Star, which also features events such as the Rising Stars game, slam dunk contest, and the celebrity All-Star game, took place in Indianapolis. The hometown crowd was upset when Lillard won MVP over the Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton, who scored 32 points compared to Lillard’s 39.3
  • In addition to setting the record for points in a game, the Eastern Conference squad set the record for most 3-pointers attempted in a match (97) while both squads combined for a record 66 made 3s and 168 attempted.4
  • The wild-scoring exhibition game has long been criticized for a lack of competition and defense, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver went on record saying that he wants to restore the importance and competitiveness of the contest.5

Sources: 1CNN, 2ESPN.com, 3USA Today, 4US News & World Report and 5FOX News.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by CBS. For many years the NBA All-Star Game has been essentially unwatchable, but Sunday’s debacle took the event to a new level. With an absurd 97 3-pointers attempted, it's clear that none of the players care one iota about the game. Careening through the historic 200-point barrier is unacceptable. Adam Silver has tried many different twists to reignite the exhibition game, but after this performance, this event can't be saved.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Nba.Com. Amid the controversy, the NBA All-Star Game saw history be made, and the exhibition was filled with highlights and fascinating moments. Obviously, the match doesn't have the same fire as a normal game, but the beauty of the All-Star Game is showcasing the league's brightest stars all on one stage. At the end of the day, a historic record fell — All-Star Weekend is about fun, and the contest is filled with it.

Predictions