It’s DAZZLING. The NBA All-Star Games 2024 kicked off on Friday night at the Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts, the NFL counterpart of the host team of the Indiana Pacers. This marks the All-Star weekend’s first visit to the Circle City since 1985.
Let's take a look back at the events and performances that stood out from the big weekend in Indianapolis.
With an LED court lighting up the first event of the 2024 All-Star Weekend, the Ruffles All-Star Celebrity Game did not come up short on bling. Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, was named game MVP after scoring 37 big points and led Team Shannon to a comfortable 100-91 victory over Team Stephen A.
The night’s highlights weren’t limited to Parsons’ athleticism and handling; others were Puka Nacua’s monstrous dunks, the coaches’ sideline antics, and the participation of Olympic gold medalist high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi for the second-straight year.
Wrapping up the first day of the eventful weekend, Team Jalen says ‘Do’ in the do-or-die finals game of the Panini Rising Stars, towering over Team Detlef in a dominating 26-13 victory. Despite his silence during the final round, Benedict Mathurin’s 18-point production in round 1 of the semifinals earned him the spot to become the Rising Stars MVP.
Meanwhile, Team Indy successfully defended their home court at the 2024 Kia Skills Challenge on State Farm All-Star Saturday Night. Composed of Myles Turner, Tyrese Haliburton, and Bennedict Mathurin, the Pacers’ trio defeated Team All-Stars, led by Scottie Barnes, Tyrese Maxey, and Trae Young in a tie-breaker that decided the final round. With a flashy shot from Tyrese Haliburton, his team beat Team All-Stars by as much as 20 seconds to take home the crown.
SHOOTERS SHOOT
"A night like tonight shows a lot of young girls and young boys that if you can shoot, you can shoot. It doesn't matter if you're a girl or a boy, I think it just matters the heart that you have in wanting to be the best that you can be." as Sabrina Ionescu puts it.
Saturday night featured two thrilling shooting competitions: the 3-Point Contest and the Stephen vs. Sabrina 3-Point Challenge. The 3-Point Contest showcased the league's top three-point shooters, while the Stephen vs. Sabrina Challenge pitted both the NBA and WNBA's All-Star 3-Point contest record-holders in a head-to-head battle against each other, adding an exciting twist to the All-Star weekend.
The contest saw four players tie with 26 points each in the opening round. Then, it came down to Karl-Anthony Towns vs Damian Lillard when they found themselves tied again with 16 apiece in the succeeding round. In the final stretch, Dame tied KAT's 24 just before he reached his final rack. Despite missing four of his last five shots, Dame time materialized on his last money ball to call the game. The defending 3-Point Contest champion made the shot just in time to claim his second-straight 3-Point Shootout trophy on Saturday night.
On the flip side, Steph Curry rose up to Sabrina Ionescu's challenge by dishing out his 3-point specialty, garnering as much as 29 points as compared to the latter's 26. With the win, Curry further cements his status as the best long-range shooter in basketball history.
Despite Ionescu coming up short, her performance was equally impressive, demonstrating her ability to compete at the highest level and solidifying her place as a rising star in the basketball scene. Ionescu's 26-point outing equaled Dame Lillard's winning score in the 3-point contest that transpired on the same night.
The one-of-a-kind event added a unique and exciting element to the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend, showcasing the talent and competitiveness of these two remarkable athletes. It left fans wanting more, eagerly anticipating future matchups that know no gender. Indeed, if you can shoot, you can shoot.
MCCLUNG GOES BACK-TO-BACK
Mac McClung put the house down with a reverse dunk on 7-foot-1 Hall of Famer Shaquille O'neal who was wearing McClung's high school jersey. That performance earned a perfect 50 score from the judges to beat Celtics Guard Jaylen Brown's 49.2. The Osceola Magic Guard is the sixth player in the history of the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest to win back-to-back, joining the ranks of five other legendary dunk contest winners.
On his first attempt, McClung took the ball over someone's head and passed it on to himself, pausing mid-air before slamming the ball in reverse. The performance was nothing short of spectacular, some even think it’s the best dunk of the night. McClung finished the contest with back-to-back clean leaps to cap off Saturday night's festivities. When asked if there's a chance that he would give the fans the opportunity to witness a three-peat in next year's contest, the 25-year-old says, “I’d have to think about it. I never say never but I'll think about it."
EAST IS THE WAY TO GO
The Eastern Conference team routs the West in a record-settling 211-186 win to claim the All-Star Game Crown on Sunday night. The fans and players alike saw the most points combined in All-Star Game history with 397, surpassing the previous record of 369 set by the 2016 edition.
Karl Anthony Towns of the West set the best score of the night with 50 points and 8 boards. The Minnesota Timberwolves forward was only five points shy of tying Jayson Tatum's 2023 output for most points in an All-Star Game.
Damian Lillard, however, was named Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP with 39 points and a record of 11 three-pointers made. Lillard closed out the game with an ecstatic half-court shot, his second made 51-footer for the night. He became the first player in history to win the 3-point shootout and MVP award in the same season.
Indy's very own Tyrese Haliburton did his part with 32 points, most of which came from ten three-pointers. Haliburton came in second in the MVP voting with a 5-7 tally favoring Lillard.
The East broke yet another set of records with its 211-point performance and a team total of 42 made threes, the most points and most made threes in All-Star Game history respectively. When asked if the guys talked about reaching 200 when they already had over a hundred in the first half, Dame said "Once we came out the third [quarter], we made a lot of shots. Everybody kept asking what the record was, we found out and we went after it."
The All-Star Game is an exhibition game that displays a loose style of play and a lack of defensive effort by the biggest names in the league. While a number of fans aren't too happy about the level of unseriousness in the game, it's still entertaining to see the superstars light up the scoreboard in their fun little ways. In the wise words of Giannis Antetokuonmpo, "Winner winner, chicken dinner."