The National Basketball Association All-Star Game provides a big stage for the league to showcase its top players and their exceptional skills. This annual exhibition contest is typically very high-scoring, and Sunday night’s game was no exception, as the Western Conference All-Stars beat the Eastern Conference All-Stars, 152-149, at Amway Center arena in Orlando, Florida. Let’s check out some of the top plays.
“The Durantula,” Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder, checked in at #3 in the highlights above. The 23-year-old Durant, playing in his third consecutive NBA All-Star Game, tallied 36 points, seven rebounds and three assists and was named the competition’s Most Valuable Player.
“It’s a dream come true,” Kevin Durant said after receiving the trophy in Orlando. “These guys behind me tried to feed me the ball … I’m glad we came out on top.” Durant has come out on top the past two seasons as the NBA’s highest scorer. While the individual accolades are nice, he realizes lifting the NBA championship trophy is more important.
At the NBA All-Star break, Durant and the Thunder were tied with the Miami Heat for the league’s best record, 27-7. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if we see those two teams in this year’s NBA Finals. Miami lost in the championship round last season to the Dallas Mavericks, four games to two.