While the 2022 NBA All-Star Game offered more excitement compared to some previous editions, the outcome was the same. Team LeBron once again emerged victorious, beating Team Durant 163-160 in a thrilling fashion on Sunday night in Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse arena.
The game remained competitive until the very end before LeBron James secured a win for his team with a fadeaway over Zach LaVine.
James, who finished the game with 24 points, said after the game that this was a special moment for him, considering he grew up just in Akron, Ohio, which is just half an hour’s drive from the arena.
“I couldn’t have dreamt it,” James told the reporters. “I could not have dreamed of that moment any better than the actuality that just happened.”
LeBron James was named the All-Star captain every year since NBA changed the All-Star Game format in 2018. The teams he picked are now 5-0 in these games.
While James hit the game-winner, Stephen Curry took the spotlight as the star of the night. Curry scored 50 points while making an unbelievable 16 three-pointers. This easily topped the previous All-Star record of nine three-pointers by a single player and stands as the most-scored ever in an NBA game.
Curry, who was born in Akron as well, took home the Most Valuable Player honors. This was his first career NBA All-Star Game MVP trophy.
“It was kind of a perfect ending. Obviously, I got the MVP; I played well the whole night. He [James] hit the game-winner,” said Curry. “All the history of our series and the Akron ties, and all that kind of going into how the night went, so it was pretty—can’t really draw it up any other way.”
Team Durant, who played without their captain Kevin Durant, was led by Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, who had 36 points and 10 rebounds. Devin Booker had 20 points, while LaMelo Ball and Dejounte Murray added 18 points and 17 points, respectively.
