NBA All-Star Game highlights: East dazzles in win over West as Damian Lillard wins MVP

The East reigns supreme.

The Giannis Antetokounmpo-captained team defeated the West, 211-186, in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. It’s the highest-scoring All-Star Game in history and the Eastern Conference became the first team to surpass the 200-point mark.

Karl-Anthony Towns was the game’s leading scorer with 50 points off the bench in the losing effort. Last season, Jayson Tatum broke the record for most points scored in an All-Star Game with 55 points.

Damian Lillard led the East with 39 points, including two halfcourt shots. He was awarded the Kobe Bryant MVP Award for the effort. It's his first time winning the award in eight All-Star appearances. 

Jaylen Brown added 36 points. Tyrese Haliburton, playing in front of his own Indiana Pacers fans, scored 32 points. He started 5-for-5 with all his shots from beyond the arc.

West captain LeBron James had 8 points in 14 minutes. He had a slam dunk with an assist from Luka Dončić in the first quarter, but was limited due to an ankle injury. The Los Angeles Lakers star was playing in his record 20th All-Star game.

The All-Star Game returned to the East-West format this season after six years playground style where two captains picked players in a draft. James won all but one of those games.

Earlier in the weekend’s festivities, Mac McClung, a G League player for the Osceola Magic, won the dunk contest for the second straight year and Lillard repeated as the 3-point contest winner. Steph Curry defeated Sabrina Ionescu in the first NBA vs. WNBA 3-point challenge. — Victoria Hernandez

NBA All-Star Game highlights

The Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference, 211-186, with the winners putting up the most points in the game’s 73-year history. The previous mark: 196 by the West in 2016.

It was a flurry of records: The total points of 397 smashed the record of 374 set in 2017, while the East made 42 3-pointers to break the mark of 35 set by Team LeBron in 2019. The sides combined for 193 points in the first half to break the any-half record of 191 set last year, and the East tied an any-half record by scoring 104 by intermission.

Who won NBA All-Star Game MVP?

INDIANAPOLIS — Damian Lillard was the star of All-Star Weekend. He won 3-point contest for the second consecutive time Saturday and claimed the MVP Sunday, becoming just the second player since Michael Jordan to win a Saturday event and MVP in the same year.

And by the time, the East topped the West 211-186 – and MVP voters submitted and then resubmitted their votes on deadline – Lillard earned his first NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP award. — Jeff Zillgitt

All-Star Game ends with MVP controversy

Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard won the NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP award, and it didn’t sit well with Indiana Pacers fans and the 2024 All-Star Game host city.

They wanted Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton to win the award. Haliburton would’ve been a worthy choice. He had 32 points, making 10-for-14 on 3s. He also had seven rebounds and six assists.

But Lillard’s 39 points (33 on 3-pointers) won the minds of voters, adding a bit of drama to another mundane All-Star Game. — Jeff Zillgitt

Damian Lillard highlights

Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks scored a team-high 39 points, making 11 3-point attempts, in an MVP performance for the Eastern Conference.

Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić play hot potato down the court

If the NBA All-Star Game isn’t fun, then what’s the point?

Despite being down 20-plus points, Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić found a way to keep the game entertaining. They tossed the ball between themselves for a play in the fourth quarter. It was a game of hot potato as neither one dribbled between passes.

Once they finally got to the basket, the Denver Nuggets center tipped it off to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who hopped up for an easy basket. — Victoria Hernandez

East steamrolling West through three quarters

With the East crushing the West on 3-pointers and Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton continuing to put up points, the East took a 160-136 lead after three quarters.

Lillard has a game-high 33 points, and Haliburton has 24 points – all on 3-pointers – and scoring help from Giannis Antetokounmpo (17 points), Jayson Tatum (20 points) and Jaylen Brown (23 points) has put the East in solid position headed into the fourth quarter. Lillard and Brown each had 11 points in the third.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had hoped for a more competitive game, and the West has some to make up in the final 12 minutes to make that happen. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the West with 23 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns has 19. — Jeff Zillgitt

Luka Doncic stuffed by rim, Damian Lillard hits 3-pointer from half court

Luka Doncic got stuffed by the rim on a dunk attempt. Damian Lillard got the ball and as he approached the center court logo, you could sense what he was about to do: launch a 3-point shot from half court.

Dame Time swished it, giving the East a 27-point third-quarter lead. It gave Lillard a game-high 33 points – and perhaps a slight edge in the NBA All-Star Kobe Bryant MVP award race. Tyrese Haliburton will have a say in the matter, too.  — Jeff Zillgitt

Jennifer Hudson performs at NBA All-Star halftime

Jennifer Hudson traded her jersey for a sparkly jumpsuit and was the halftime performer for the NBA All-Star Game.

The EGOT winner gave a rendition of her 2011 song “I Got This” during the break in play while repping No. 17. She is the 17th person to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award. She stood on a series of risers while a live band accompanied her soaring vocals.

Hudson appeared in the Celebrity All-Star Game on Friday as part of Stephen A. Smith’s losing team. — Victoria Hernandez

Eastern Conference leads after highest-scoring half in NBA All-Star history

The East is leading the West, 104-89, at the half of the NBA All-Star Game.

The score total of 193 marks the highest-scoring half in All-Star Game history. The East's points ties the record for a team's first half points from 2016.

Three-point contest winner Damian Lillard is the leading scorer with 22 points. He’s made six three-point shots. Tyrese Haliburton, who is playing in front of his own Pacers fans, has 18 points, all from behind the arc. He cooled down a bit in the second quarter after starting the game going 5-for-5.

For the West, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry each have 12 points and 4 assists. Captain LeBron James has 8 points and 4 rebounds in 14 minutes of play.

The East has led since 9:27 of the first quarter when Haliburton made his second of three straight treys. — Victoria Hernandez

Giannis Antetokounmpo shows off dunking abilities as second oldest guy on East team

Captain Giannis Antetokounmpo has made dunk on dunk in the NBA All-Star Game.

In the first quarter, he slapped in a reverse dunk off a lob from Bam Adebayo.

In the next period, he made slams off an assist from Damian Lillard and an ally-oop from Trae Young.

Before the game, the 29-year-old reflected on what it means to play in his eighth All-Star Game.

“It's crazy I'm the second oldest guy on my team,” he said on the TNT broadcast before running away. — Victoria Hernandez

Eastern Conference leads after first quarter

If Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton wasn’t trying to win the All-Star Game MVP in the first quarter, he at least got a head start. On his home court and in front of Pacers fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Haliburton made the first five 3-pointers he attempted and gave the Eastern Conference All-Stars an early first-quarter lead over the Western Conference All-Stars.

The East ended the first quarter with a 53-47 lead.

For the second consecutive night at All-Star Weekend, 3-point shot was on display. A night after Damian Lillard, Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu delivered an entertaining clinic in the 3-point contests, the East and West combined to make 18-of-42 3s in the first quarter.

Haliburton led the East with 15 points and Lillard added xx points. The West had balanced scoring with Kevin Durant and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander each at seven points, and LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Anthony Davis and Curry each at six points. — Jeff Zillgitt

LeBron James slams massive dunk in first quarter

LeBron James made an early statement in his record 20th NBA All-Star Game.

With 5:28 left in the first quarter, the Los Angeles Lakers great caught a lob from Luka Doncic, galloped into the paint, and took flight to make a slam dunk. The play tied the game at 29.

James has six points and is expected to see limited playing time due to an ankle injury. — Victoria Hernandez

Tyrese Haliburton gets hot early from behind 3-point line

Playing in front of the hometown crowd at Indianapolis’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton made his first five 3-pointers helping the Eastern Conference All-Stars to a 20-14 lead in the first three minutes, 34 seconds of the game. He attempted a deep 3 from the halfcourt logo on his sixth attempt but missed. This is Haliburton's second All-Star Game and first as a starter. This season, Haliburton averages 21.8 points and a league-best 11.7 assists.

The record for made 3s in a single quarter of All-Star Game is seven (Steph Curry, 2022 and Jayson Tatum, 2023). — Jeff Zillgitt

LeBron James doesn’t plan to play much in All-Star Game

West All-Star starter LeBron James missed the Los Angeles Lakers’ last game before the All-Star break against Utah with a left ankle injury and confirmed he is receiving treatment.

“I won't be playing the entire game tonight, for sure,” James said about three hours before the start of the game. “I can get out there and run around with the young guys for a little bit and then shut it down at some point to give my body, and my ankle more importantly, another opportunity to rest.

“I'm seeking some more treatment (Monday) going into this week, because we have quite a few days this week as well. We don't play until the end of the week. See how that goes. But the most important thing for me is definitely my health, where I'm at right now, where our team is leaning. We're trending in the right direction.”

The Lakers are 30-26 and in ninth place in the West – fighting for a postseason spot. — Jeff Zillgitt

Babyface performs US national anthem for NBA All-Star Game

R&B star Babyface gave a soulful rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner” ahead of the NBA All-Star Game.

He opted for an acoustic rendition of the national anthem, strumming on a guitar while wearing massive sunglasses.

The multiplatinum singer is known for hits “Every Time I Close My Eyes” and “This is for the Lover in You.” During the 2020 pandemic, he did a Verzuz battle against Teddy Riley. — Victoria Hernandez

What time does the NBA All-Star Game start? 

Tipoff for Sunday night's NBA All-Star Game is set for 8 p.m. ET. 

How to watch NBA All-Star Game on TV

The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will be televised on TNT.

Where is 2024 NBA All-Star Game? 

This year's All-Star Game is at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Gainbridge Fieldhouse is the home arena of the Indiana Pacers.

NBA All-Star Drip Check: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Haliburton and Tyrese Maxey impress in tunnel fits

The rising stars of the NBA are setting the bar for fashion.

Ahead of the All-Star Game, the Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton and Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrese Maxey showed they are ready for their big moment by dressing for the occasion.

The Thunder guard had a white ensemble. He wore a jacket with colorful Vs from Gruppo Vava and a tribute to Virgil Abloh on the back. It’s the same jacket Drake wore in the “8 am in Charlotte" video. Gilgeous-Alexander paired it with white Chrome Hearts pants with colorful crosses and chunky boots.

The Pacers guard wore an eye-catching black Prada coat with blue fluff around the arms and the bottom. He accessorized it with eyeglasses and a tie for a sophisticated look.

The 76ers guard also wore a long coat, a brown trench from Who Decides War. The brand’s signature stained glass windows are cut out to reveal an interesting striped pattern. Maxey wore a bright yellow workwear set underneath for a pop of color. — Victoria Hernandez

NBA All-Star Game starters 

Here are the starters for each side:

• East: Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miami's Bam Adebayo, Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton, Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard, Boston’s Jayson Tatum 
• West: Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, Dallas’ Luka Doncic, Phoenix’s Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver’s Nikola Jokic 

NBA All-Star Game rosters 

Here are the complete rosters.  

East:  

• Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo 
• Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid 
• Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton 
• Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard 
• Boston’s Jayson Tatum 
• Miami’s Bam Adebayo 
• Orlando’s Paolo Banchero 
• Boston’s Jaylen Brown 
• New York’s Jalen Brunson 
• Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey 
• Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell 
• New York’s Julius Randle 
• Atlanta's Trae Young % 
• Toronto's Scottie Barnes % 

West:  

• Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James 
• Dallas’ Luka Doncic 
• Phoenix’s Kevin Durant 
• Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 
• Denver’s Nikola Jokic 
• Phoenix’s Devin Booker 
• Golden State’s Steph Curry 
• Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis 
• Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards 
• Los Angeles Clippers’ Paul George 
• Los Angeles Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard 
• Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns 

% Indicates commissioner's selection for the injured Julius Randle and Joel Embiid 

Who are the NBA All-Star Game coaches? 

The Minnesota Timberwolves' Chris Finch will coach the West, and Milwaukee Bucks' Doc Rivers will coach the East. 

NBA All-Star Game predictions 

The West will win the All-Star Game in its return to the East-West format. LeBron James, who is making his record 20th All-Star appearance, won all but one of the six games that were done playground draft style. He was a captain every time and returns as captain again. The West also won six of the past seven matchups before the game switched formats with Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis receiving two of the MVP awards. Both are back on the West roster this year alongside rising star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Finals MVP Nikola Jokic.

The winner of the Kobe Bryant MVP award will be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. With a return to the East-West format and this season featuring the in-season tournament, it feels like a new era for the NBA. So it’s time for a new star to shine. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard is second in the league with an average of 31.1 points per game and he’s proven to be clutch. He will carry on the torch that former Thunder stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook ignited with four MVP titles between the two of them.

Tyrese Haliburton will have a double-double in front of his home crowd. The Indiana Pacers standout is an All-Star starter for the first time. He had 18 points in his first appearance as a reserve last season. Part of what’s made his game so electric this year is how he’s set multiple records with his assists. He steps up in the bright lights, like in the in-season tournament, and this will be another opportunity for him to show the country what he’s made of. — Victoria Hernandez

LeBron James expresses desire to finish career with Lakers

INDIANAPOLIS — As Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James prepared for his NBA record 20th All-Star Game, he acknowledged he is contemplating what the end of his playing career will look like and expressed a desire to finish it with the Lakers.

“I have not mapped out how many seasons I have left. I know it's not that many,” James said when asked by USA TODAY Sports at a news conference Sunday afternoon. — Jeff Zillgitt

Larry Bird makes rare public speaking appearances during NBA All-Star Weekend

INDIANAPOLIS — Only the NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis could pull NBA legend Larry Bird from his quiet and good life back into the spotlight.

It's his preference to stay out of the spotlight after a lifetime in it as basketball player, coach and executive.

But with All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis (Bird coached the Pacers and led the front office) and his home state (Bird was born in French Lick and played college basketball at Indiana State), Bird agreed to two interviews – one at Friday’s NBA Tech Summit and one with TNT that aired Saturday featuring Bird, Isaiah Thomas and Reggie Miller, two former NBA players with Indiana and Pacers ties. — Jeff Zillgitt

Who won the NBA slam dunk contest? 

Mac McClung, who has been a slam dunk viral sensation for nearly a decade starting in high school, etched his name in NBA All-Star Weekend history book with his second consecutive slam dunk contest title.

McClung, a G League player for the Osceola Magic with just four career NBA games played, jumped over TNT analyst, Basketball of Hall of Famer and 7-footer Shaquille O’Neal, who was wearing a jersey from McClung’s high school, Gate City in southwest Virginia, for a two-handed reverse dunk.

McClung received a perfect score of 50 from judges Gary Payton, Fred Jones, Mitch Richmond, Darnell Hillman, Dominique Wilkins and slipped by Boston’s Jaylen Brown for the championship.

"I'm trying to sit with it right now and take a second and understand what's going on," McClung said. "I feel like life is so fast sometimes, it's just I'll look back in 20 years when I can't jump anymore and not as quick. But I know I'm a lucky dude.” — Jeff Zillgitt

Who won the NBA 3-point contest? 

It was Dame Time yet again in NBA All-Star 3-point contest.

One of the clutch players in the game, Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard needed to make the final shot of the event to edge Atlanta’s Trae Young and win his second consecutive 3-point contest. He also needed to make his final shot last year to win the event.

Lillard had 26 points in the final round, slipping past Young’s 24 points.

"When I got to the final rack, I didn't know my exact score, but when I missed a couple, I heard the crowd just oohing and aahing. Once they kept doing it over and over, I knew I was still alive because I knew they would have stopped if it had been over for me," Lillard said. "The next two balls, I missed again, and then I grabbed the next one and I knew I needed that to win."

In the showcase 3-point contest between Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu, the Golden State Warriors guard won, 29-26. — Jeff Zillgitt, Victoria Hernandez

NBA All-Star Game rules, format 

This year, it’s a return to the traditional East vs. West format instead of two captains picking teams. Also, the game returns to a four, 12-minute quarters format opposed to the targeted-score ending to conclude the All-Star Game in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. The team that wins each quarter will have donation made in its name to a charitable organization. — Jeff Zillgitt 

NBA All-Star Game scores last 10 years 

Here are the final scores and MVPs for the last decade: 

• 2023: Team Giannis 184, Team LeBron 175 | MVP: Jayson Tatum 
• 2022: Team LeBron 163, Team Durant 160 | MVP: Stephen Curry 
• 2021: Team LeBron 170, Team Durant 150 | MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo 
• 2020: Team LeBron 157, Team Giannis 155 | MVP: Kawhi Leonard 
• 2019: Team LeBron 178, Team Giannis 164 | MVP: Kevin Durant 
• 2018: Team LeBron 148, Team Stephen 145 | MVP: LeBron James 
• 2017: West 192, East 182 | MVP: Anthony Davis 
• 2016: West 196, East 173 | MVP: Russell Westbrook 
• 2015: West 163, East 158 | MVP: Russell Westbrook 
• 2014: East 163, West 155 | MVP: Kyrie Irving 

How long is the NBA All-Star Game? 

The 2023 NBA All-Star Game was 2 hours, 10 minutes long. 

2023 All-Star Game stats, box score 

Here is the complete box score from last year’s All-Star Game. 

What are most points scored in an NBA All-Star Game?

Jayson Tatum set the record last year for most points scored in an All-Star Game with 55.  

NBA All-Star Game odds 

Team West is favored to defeat Team East, with 74% of bets placed with BetMGM taking the favorites and the 2.5-point spread. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo (+600) is the favorite to win the All-Star Game MVP, but Warriors guard Stephen Curry (+900) has the highest handle at 19.3%. — Richard Morin 

2025 NBA All-Star Game location 

Next year’s All-Star Game is slated to be in San Francisco at the Chase Center, where the Golden State Warriors play. 

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