SportsTeam LeBron Beat Team Durant in All-Star Game

Team LeBron Beat Team Durant in All-Star Game

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BEVERLY HILLS, March 08, (THEWILL) – Ahead of the 2021 All-Star Game (ASG), basketball icon LeBron James, who picked one of the sides in contention, had reason to believe these were not the best of times to put on an elaborate showing like that. Never one to shy away from a tough stance, he made his position clear:

“Obviously, I love our league. I love the game of basketball at the highest level and doing what I love to do. I just think under these circumstances with what we’re going through still with the pandemic and everything with the season, I just thought we could’ve looked at it a little bit differently.”

His view aside, he admitted that there was not much he could do about it when he adhered to the system by picking a side of top-rated stars to contend against another equally elite side picked by Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant.

And, the two sides put up a basketball showpiece that was as thrilling as it kept to the best traditions of the ASG. LeBron, who appeared to reluctantly feature, did not return after the break. Yet, unsurprisingly, it turned out that his team did not really need him. Nor, did they miss him.

Instead, Team LeBron cruised to a 170-150 ASG triumph over Team Durant on Sunday as James watched the second half from the bench. The Greek Giannis Antetokounmpo was an epitome of perfection from the field while Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry and Portland Trailblazers’ Damian Lillard tousled their own in-game 3-point contest to lead the rout of Team Durant.

Team LeBron took the first three quarters to carry a 146-125 edge into the final one, meaning that the first team to 170 points would win, following the game’s Elam ending format. That was far too steep a hill to climb for Team Durant.

Although Team LeBron produced several noteworthy performances, none came close to what Antetokounmpo delivered. The Milwaukee Bucks star tallied 35 points and seven rebounds without missing a single shot en route to copping the MVP honours. A friendly bounce off the backboard upped his tally to a perfect 16-of-16 from the field including connecting on all three of his 3-point attempts.

Meanwhile, Curry and Lillard were putting on a show to rival the early Sunday 3-point contest that Curry won. Lillard tallied 32 points while connecting on 8-of-16 3-point attempts. Curry matched Lillard’s 8-of-16 effort from deep en route to 28 points, four short of his teammate.

It was obvious that by the end of the first half, the sharpshooters were simply toying with Team Durant, producing back-to-back halfcourt shots for the fun of it. Lillard hit a 3-pointer from just beyond halfcourt to reach 170 points and secure the victory for Team LeBron, in as emphatic a manner as could be crafted.

James, while he played earlier, tallied four points in 13 minutes and Lillard started the second half in his place as the Los Angeles Lakers’ Shooting Guard took to the bench. James did not return to the game, taking some time out to enjoy a snack on the bench as his team took Team Durant to the cleaners.

Part of the kind of issues playing such an ASG at this time that James was off about showed when, just before the game began on Sunday, both sides had to scratch out the pair of Philadelphia 76ers players were ruled out due to the league’s COVID-19 protocols.

Centre Joel Embiid and Point Guard Ben Simmons both reportedly received haircuts from a barber who tested positive for COVID-19 and, although neither player has confirmed testing positive, they were rendered ineligible to play as a cautionary measure. Embiid was slated to start for Team Durant while Simmons was scheduled to come off the bench for Team LeBron.

Durant, who picked Team Durant, did not play due to a lingering hamstring strain which he sustained while playing against the Warriors on Saturday, February 13.

About the Author

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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

Jude Obafemi, THEWILLhttps://thewillnews.com
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

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