The 2024 All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis had the best talent from around the NBA on display. The All-Star game was the highest scoring ever, as the East became the first team to surpass the 200-point mark. The score ended on 221-186, for a total of 407 points, breaking the previous record of 374 set in 2017.
Dame Lillard scored 39 points on 14-of-26 shooting and 11-of-23 from three-point range. He hit some extremely deep triples which included a couple from half court. His MVP performance came one night after successfully defending his title in the 3-point contest on Saturday.
Lillard and Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton combined for 21 of the East’s 42 3-pointers, an All-Star game record for a team. First time all-star Halliburton went 10 for 14 from three point land and ended up with 32 points. Many believed that he was the MVP of the all-star game, as he took 10 less shots than Lillard.
The Celtics’ Jaylen Brown has 36 points and 8 rebounds while his teammate Jayson Tatum chipped in with 20 points. The high-scorer in the game was the Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl Anthony-Towns who scored 50 points to become the fourth player to reach that mark in an All-Star Game. He joined Jayson Tatum (55 in 2023), Anthony Davis (52 in 2017) and Stephen Curry (50 in 2022).
LeBron James participated in his record 20th All-Star Game but had limited playing time. He was only on the floor for 14 minutes, scoring 8 points and contributing 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
Overall the All-Star game wasn’t very competitive as the East took control early and never looked back. After taking a 104-89 at half-time, they only built on their lead, mainly due to three pointers from Lillard and Haliburton.
Towns attempted to lead a comeback putting up an incredible 31 points in the 4th quarter but never really came close. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the only other noteworthy player from the West, finishing with 31 on 12-of-16 shooting.
Mac McClung Retain Dunk Contest Title
G-league player Mac McClung was able to retain his dunk contest title on Saturday, beating Jaylen Brown in the final. In his final dunk, he jumped over retired Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal (7-1) with a reverse to seal the victory. It was the only dunk of the night that received a perfect score of 50 across the board from all judges.
Jaylen Brown qualified for the final with two tribute dunks, wearing the high school jersey of Terrance Clarke, a Boston-born 19-year-old who died in a car crash in 2021.
Jaime Jaquez of the Heat and Westchester Knicks G-Leaguer Jacob Toppin were first-round eliminations.
Steph Curry Wins First-Ever NBA vs. WNBA Three-Point Contest
For the first-time ever there was a NBA vs WNBA three-point contest which featured Steph Curry and Sabrina Lonescu. Curry, regarded by many as the greatest shooter of all time, was pushed by Lonescu but still came out with the win.
Lonescu went first and was able to score 26 points, which was up there with most NBA stars who participated in the 3-point contest. Curry however was able to score 29 points, the highest of anyone for the night.
Curry has already taken home the NBA three-point contest title two times and holds the league’s record for most career three-pointers made (3,642).
Lonescu set the WNBA record for most three-pointers in a single-season with 128. She also set a WNBA all-time record score in the three-point contest last year, with 37 points out of a possible 40.
Both Curry and Lonescu raised money for their respective charities and the NBA Foundation. Each regular shot was worth $1,000, every moneyball $2,000 and every ‘Starry’ range ball was worth $3,000.
Lillard Defends 3-Point Contest Title
The three-point contest this year had participation from Malik Beasley, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard, Lauri Markkanen, Donovan Mitchell, Karl-Anthony Towns and Trae Young.
In the end, Lillard was able to successfully defend his three-point contest title, becoming the first player to win back-to-back crowns since Jason Kapono in 2007-2008.
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