Team LeBron victorious, but Antetokounmpo steals show with insane alley-oop
The NBA All-Star game never fails to bring the highlights, and the 2019 edition was no exception.
Team captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo went head to head, but it was the former who came out on top.
Kevin Durant earned MVP honours for the game, but Antetokounmpo stole the show in the first half, completing a ridiculous alley-oop on a pass from Golden Stat’s Steph Curry.
Team Lebron had the last laugh after making a huge comeback in the second half, but the Greek Freak set social media alight with his ludicrous finish.
STEPH TO GIANNIS! 😱
*whispers* Team LeBron might want to start playing some defense.pic.twitter.com/6uTVczyOAe
— Yahoo Sports NBA (@YahooSportsNBA) February 18, 2019
Giannis should be in next year’s dunk contest #NBAAllStar
— Bill(Y) Robinson🤼♂️B.H.D (@billyr09) February 18, 2019
Giannis, please dunk us all the way to a W
— ashley⚡️#1 paul george stan (@swiftwestbrook) February 18, 2019
I still can’t get over the Steph x Giannis dunk.
— THE BEST NUGGETS FAN💙❤️💛 (@NateCarps) February 18, 2019
every alley-oop thrown to Giannis from now on must go above the TV screen pic.twitter.com/GxkqV2wPMj
— One Last Wob (@WorldWideWob) February 18, 2019
Antetokounmpo finished with a game-high 38 points, as well as 11 rebounds and five assists.
The Milwaukee Bucks star threw down a number of highlight dunks, but it was Durant’s hot shooting in the second half that won him MVP honours.
The Warriors star and two-time Finals MVP led Team LeBron with 31 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
His hot shooting from distance, hitting 6/9 from beyond the three-point line, was a game-changer after the half-time break.
Team Lebron trailed by 13 points at half time and by more than 20 early in the third quarter.
It was the hot second half shooting of Durant and Portland’s Damian Lillard that turned the tide.
The dominant second half performance resulted in a 178-164 win for Team LeBron, the second year in a row LeBron James’ team has won the All-Star Game.
Honorary All-Star selections Dirk Nowitski and Dwyane Wade turned back the clock for Team Giannis and Team LeBron respectively.
Nowitzki canned three first-half triples without a miss, while Wade recreated a special moment with James, setting his former teammate up for an iconic alley-oop reminiscent of their tenure as teammates for the Miami Heat.