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As scores proceed to say no for the NBA, apart from the playoffs, All-Star weekend is meant to be a time that almost all followers tune in, and this was the primary yr of a complete overhaul.
The superstar recreation, three-point contest, and slam dunk contest went off with out a hitch, however the true take a look at was Sunday’s penultimate All-Star recreation, which was flipped on its head.
For the primary time, the everyday high-scoring, defenseless recreation wasn’t current. As a substitute, organizers opted for a mini match comprised of 4 groups, battling it out in three shorter video games the place the primary to 40 factors wins, and TNT’s Contained in the NBA crew appearing as normal managers.
First up had been Kenny Smith’s Younger Stars, with gamers like Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, and Tyler Herro, who went up towards Charles Barkley‘s World Stars, composed of stars like Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Victor Wembanyama. With Anthony Edwards out with a chilly, Chuck’s staff got here out on high 41-32.
Then, earlier than the second recreation began, YouTube sensation MrBeast hosted a fast half-court shot contest between a fortunate fan and Damian Lillard for an opportunity to win 100,000. They every took turns heaving photographs, and to stage the enjoying discipline, Lillard needed to make three whereas the fan simply needed to sink one. Ultimately, the random fan makes the shot as Shaq, Kenny, and a bunch of groups’ mascots rally round him earlier than tossing him right into a field filled with greenback payments.
Afterward, we lastly obtained again to a different tourney recreation, through which Shaquille O’Neal’s OGs, comprised of veteran skills like LeBron James, Steph Curry, Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving, raced to 40 factors towards Candace Parker’s Rising Stars. Even with James bowing out of the sport with an ankle harm –ending his 20-year All-Star Sport steak– the OGs finally beat the Rising Stars 42-35, who had been in a position to cling round for some time.
That arrange the Ultimate between the OGs and Chuck’s World All-Stars, which wasn’t as aggressive as anticipated, with the previous successful 41-25.
Sharpshooter Steph placed on a clinic as quickly as the sport tipped off. He instantly shot a working three off one leg and later shot a half-court three to place his staff up by double digits. He ended the sport with 12 factors and was awarded his second MVP trophy, fittingly, as his staff’s metropolis hosted All-Star Weekend within the Bay Space.
Whereas the mini-tournament was a refreshing solution to remix an getting older method that followers had been vocal about being stale, the splitting up of competitors created a number of breaks, which left followers with Kevin Hart banter, commercials, and a musical tribute to the Bay Space—highlighted by E-40 and Too $hort—as an alternative of extra enjoying time.
See how social media is sounding off concerning the revamped All-Star recreation under.
NBA All-Star Sport Reimagined As Mini Match, Gamers & Social Media Hated It
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