Welcome to the NBA Hangover. We jot down NBA stuff mostly from last night that we want to talk about. Check it out.
Kawhi Leonard won the inaugural Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP Award. Wait. Kawhi is smiling?
(PHOTO CREDIT: Nuccio DiNuzzo/EPA-EFE.)
The All-Star Game turned out to be the best in years. Honestly, I can’t even remember the all-star games of the past. But what I do remember about Sunday‘s game was that it was competitive and it got a playoff game aura at that frantic fourth quarter.
ONCE people learned about the rules (math is hard), they seemed to enjoy it, too. The game at the end became first to 157 wins, after Giannis’s team took an overall 133-124 lead into the fourth (they added 24 points to Giannis’s team score to set up the target score).
And it was fun and competitive in the fourth quarter! Teams played defense! Players were complaining! There were several uses of replay! Giannis Antetokounmpo blocked LeBron James twice. Kyle Lowry took charges. In the end, the teams got it pretty close to the point that the next basket would win. Sure, the game ended with an Anthony Davis free throw but the league and most fans got what they wanted. It became a competitive game at the end. Yeah, the first three quarters still had a lot of the all-star games of past where it was pretty much a chuckfest and a dunk contest but they turned on their competitive juices as the quarters went on. After all, money for charities were on the line here. I did disagree about carrying over the charity money to the fourth quarter when they tied in the third; couldn’t they just split the money to both charities? Otherwise, it was great.
There is no way they’re NOT doing this format again next year and the years after that. It is unfortunate that the game became a tribute for the passing of Kobe and Gianna Bryant (the all-star game MVP trophy was named after Kobe for yet another tribute). It was still a very emotional time in the basketball world (holy hell, that Jennifer Hudson performance at the start). But if Kobe were still alive (gosh, that’s so strange to write), he would’ve enjoyed the new format.
Kawhi Leonard would end up winning the first Kobe Bryant all-star game MVP award (30 points and 7 boards). The game was definitely a success. Hell, the weekend seemed like a huge success. And now the league gets a well-deserved break until Thursday.
Bullet Passes
The skills contest was fun. The 3-point contest was exciting. And the dunk contest was great for the first time in 4 years. But you can’t help but think that Saturday night was a bit too short. Now that many more people are shooting from halfcourt, maybe it’s time to bring back the Shooting Stars competition.
Nobody talks about 2-Ball; is that still a thing? Anyway, I liked 2-Ball and it’s also a fantastic way to involve the WNBA (they won’t have an all-star game this year due to the Summer Olympics).
Still, this was a win for the NBA.
Seriously, take out those 29-foot shots away from the 3-point shootout. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the 3-point shootout the way it was when it started. I did come around to the money ball rack but that really should be it. No more changes.
That Chaka Khan national anthem. It was, uh, interesting.
The Scoreboard
Team LeBron 157 vs Team Giannis 155
Watch This Play
When did you ever see Chris Paul throw down an alley-oop dunk? Yes. Chris Paul.
(VIDEO CREDIT: NBA BandWagon Fan.)
And it was from Russell Westbrook, too!
Stupid Power Rankings! And then we’re off until Friday, the day after the games come back!
GG.
Rey-Rey is on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
TNLP on FaceBook.
I sign off “GG” which means “good game” but also to honor Gianna “Gigi” Bryant.