NEW ORLEANS — For all the drama around the All-Star Game this week — from the overblown Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook “feud” to the suddenly not overblown DeMarcus Cousins trade — when the game tipped off the guys wanted to make it about the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis.
From the opening minutes of the game Western Conference All-Stars were trying to feed the hometown hero and get the man buckets — players known to never pass up an open look did just that to feed Davis.
It worked, Davis broke Wilt Chamberlain’s 1962 record for all-time All-Star points record by scoring 52 points — and every make was inside the arc. Wilt had 42 points, but his teammates’ passes meant Davis was the MVP and leading the West to the 192-182 win.
“That’s what I wanted to do,” Davis said of winning MVP. “I stressed that, I think more than enough, to the guys in the locker room before the game that I wanted to get the MVP for this crowd, for this city, and I ended up doing it. Them guys did a great job of just finding me, giving me the basketball.”
“It shows the guys understand what this weekend is about,” West coach Steve Kerr said, later adding he planned to give the Pelican’s star more run in his hometown. “Davis was the unofficial host of the weekend.”
Westbrook came close to reaching the record too, finishing with 41, and in the second half he got so hot he had to cool himself down.
The defense was what you expect in an All-Star Game, which is to say none. To the point that after the game Westbrook was saying the players need to take it upon themselves to make this a more competitive game in the future. Kerr said the league needs to find ways to incentivize the players to compete a little harder and not let it become a dunkfest.
With the best players in the world and nominal defense, guys were getting buckets from the start. The West was trying to feed Davis early, and he had a quick eight points and finished the first quarter with 10, while Westbrook came in and got a quick nine off the bench. Westbrook’s buckets included a give-and-go with Durant that drew a lot of attention.
However, it was the East up 53-48 after one thanks to early buckets by Giannis Antentokounmpo, who had a quick 10 for the East in the first quarter (on his way to 30 for the game), while Boston’s Isaiah Thomas had a quick eight off the bench (he would finish with 20).
Davis continued getting the touches in the second quarter, picking up another dozen to give him 22 first-half points and helping the West push out to a 97-92 halftime lead. Yes, halftime. Did we mention there was no defense? Also, LeBron James had 20 in the first half to lead the East (he had just three in the second half).
The third quarter continued the sad defense overall and the high energy from the Greek Freak, all of which came together when Curry literally laid down on the court to avoid ending up in a poster dunk.
The other show in the third was Westbrook, who got hot and scored a dozen points all in third — all on threes — and kept the West out in front 144-139.
But in the end, the night belonged to Davis.
