Team LeBron vs Team Giannis – NBA All-Star Game

Line-ups

Starters for each team (NBA.com, 2019)

Reserves for each team (NBA.COM, 2019)

Quarter 1 reaction

The first quarter of the All Stars game did not disappoint. this being the 68th All Star game had all, Alley Oops, 3 pointers and some monster dunks. it led to Giannis team leading at the quarter with Dirk Nowitzki throwing down some vintage 3 pointers in what will be his last season in the NBA with him retiring at the end of the season. With a load of Alley oops from Durant, Griffin and Giannis and Curry with some slick behind the back passes it had everything I could of asked for at the start of the game.

Quarter 2 reaction

Giannis’s team continue to dominate. Dirk carried on his 3 point rain and Steph Curry made an incredible bounce pass Alley Oop to Giannis which is a highlight play of the game in my opinion for sure. In this quarter you could see how this game was going to change though with Anthony Davis and Karl Anthony Towns making some huge plays for Team Lebron and you could really see them coming into there own. Lebron was also showing off them warning signs with 6 unanswered points on his own showing why he was voted as captain with them huge dunks.

Quarter 3 reaction

Quarter 3 saw some good plays from Giannis’s team like Paul George using Hardens trademark step back 3 point shot against him while sinking a 3 early on in the quarter. However the highlight move for me and all I could think about in this quarter was Dwayne Wade. With how well he has done with the Miami Heat on a personal level it was a shame that he is to retire at the end of the season (like Nowitzki) and the fact that how him and LeBron would never make a trademark play together again, how we were wrong. They made basically the same Alley Oops that the did all them years ago whilst both at the Heat, only difference was with Wade knowing this would be the last he couldn’t resist the temptation to look. (See images below). 1st picture reference –
(Neuharth-Keusch, 2018) . Second picture reference – (Admin, 2019).

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Quarter 4 reaction

The 4th quarter saw Lebron’s team take the lead. Despite the efforts from team Giannis there was one ,an that seemed to be the difference, that being Kevin Durant. It seemed that all the Golden State boys had a great game and with Durant taking MVP off Giannis from this quarter alone, the man looked like he was on a different planet. The game finished Team Lebron 178 and Team Giannis on 164, meaning Lebron took the W and Durant snatched away the MVP from Giannis. Overall I thought it was thoroughly deserved with the performances from the team and especially Durant and LeBron. It was a good send of for Nowitzki and Wades last season and I’m excited to see the teams and also the captains next year.

References

Admin (2019). WATCH: Team Lebron spoils Giannis Antetokounmpo’s monstrous NBA All-Star performance. [online] The Summit Express. Available at: https://www.thesummitexpress.com/2019/02/team-lebron-walloped-team-giannis-in-2019-nba-all-star.html [Accessed 20 Feb. 2019].

NBA.com. (2019). NBA All-Star 2019 | Roster | NBA.com. [online] Available at: https://www.nba.com/allstar/2019/roster#/ [Accessed 18 Feb. 2019]. – this reference for both line-up pictures and statistic

Neuharth-Keusch, A. (2018). Dwyane Wade wants iconic photo with LeBron James signed, framed in his house. [online] Eu.usatoday.com. Available at: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2018/05/22/dwyane-wade-wants-iconic-lebron-james-photo-signed-framed-house/632790002/ [Accessed 18 Feb. 2019].