By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — If you still didn’t like the NBA’s newest All-Star Game format, you probably just don’t like All-Star games.
That seemed to be the sports sphere’s consensus after the U.S.-against-the-world, round-robin tournament Sunday produced three thrilling mini-games and several impressive individual performances. Something about the setup compelled these stars to play their exhibition at a level much closer to real competition than usual.
“I think every team honestly wanted to win,” said Phoenix’s Devin Booker, a member of the victorious Stars team.
That’s no small statement about an event that had become sports shorthand for pointless midseason pseudo-competition — a charade that wasted fans’ time and produced unwatchable TV while players simply tried to get it over with.
That’s precisely why the NBA implemented its fourth format in four years, creating a World team and two teams of Americans to play 12-minute games.
To the surprise of those who assumed this event was irredeemable, it actually worked for most people.
“I’ve been asking for it, fans have been asking for it, media have been asking for it, (and) I feel that after today, I think you all can see the competition is there,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “I think that we all brought it today, brought a sense of effort. I hope that the fans and all of you appreciate it.”
An Americans-versus-everybody finale didn’t materialize, however. Instead, the team of slightly younger Americans routed the team of slightly older Americans in an anticlimactic finale.
Even that finish had its entertaining points, though: “We’re definitely one-up on the uncs right now,” said a grinning Tyrese Maxey, who scored nine points in the final.
The NBA hasn’t declared a format for next year’s All-Star Game in Phoenix, and the World component has potential problems depending on how many international players are having All-Star-worthy seasons.
Several players, including LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard, said they still want a return to the classic East vs. West format — you know, the one that produced enough bad games to force the NBA to try something different in the first place.
It’s tough to imagine basketball in its current state producing an All-Star Game significantly better than this one, but not everything about the All-Star weekend at Intuit Dome was savory.
The highs and lows of an eventful weekend in Inglewood:
Dismal dunks
Just when the NBA might have its All-Star Game fixed, the Slam Dunk Contest was underwhelming enough to prompt fan discussion on how to save a venerable competition that’s running out of steam.
The event immortalized by the likes of Julius Erving, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant was mostly compelling for bad reasons this year, although Miami’s Keshad Johnson did well enough to join 3-Point Contest champion Damian Lillard in an all-Oakland sweep of the two marquee events at All-Star Saturday.
In the early round, Lakers center Jaxson Hayes gave an effort that drew online criticism from his own fans. Orlando’s Jase Richardson took a horrifying fall onto his back and head when his arm hit the backboard on a 360-degree spin attempt. Richardson was OK, but the frightening moment underscored the dangers of this event.
Johnson won anticlimactically when San Antonio’s Carter Bryant couldn’t complete an impressive second dunk after scoring a perfect 50 on his first.
Can the NBA persuade star players to return to the contest? Can the dunkers rediscover the creativity that compelled Blake Griffin to jump over a car, Gerald Green to blow out a cupcake candle on the rim, Dwight Howard to put on a cape and Vince Carter to stick his whole arm in the hoop?
That’s no slam dunk.
Kawhi’s barrage
Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points in 12 minutes while leading his team to victory in Sunday’s third mini-game. The seven-time All-Star went 11 of 13 with six 3-pointers, dazzling his fellow All-Stars and even prompting 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama to attempt to guard him out of desperation.
“That’s probably one of the most special quarters of basketball we’ve witnessed,” Booker said.
If Leonard’s team had put up more of a fight in the finale, he probably would have been the MVP instead of Anthony Edwards. Leonard scored only one point, looking gassed along with his teammates in their third straight game.
“That’s what the home crowd wanted to see,” Leonard said. “I’m glad I was able to do something in that game.”
Dame’s dominance
During his year away from the game due to injury, Lillard reminded the world why he’s one of the greatest shooters of his generation with a stellar performance to win the 3-Point Contest for the third time. He joins Larry Bird and Craig Hodges as the only players to do it.
The 35-year-old Portland guard held off Booker in the tremendously exciting final, winning 29-27 when Booker missed his final three shots.
Lillard tore his Achilles tendon last April, and his inclusion in this contest initially began as a joke he had with an NBA official — but the native Californian got the call, and he was healthy enough to shoot the lights out in Inglewood.
His performance was another example of an impressive comeback from that serious injury. Jayson Tatum, who also tore his Achilles tendon in last spring’s playoffs, is back in practice with Boston’s G League team.
After watching Lillard’s performance, Stephen Curry announced he’s going to compete in 2027, and he’s hoping to be joined by his Splash Brother, Klay Thompson.
Afternoon hoops
The All-Star events Saturday and Sunday began at 2 p.m. Pacific time because NBC is showing the Winter Olympics in prime time every night.
That led to empty seats in Intuit Dome at the start of both events, although they eventually filled in. The early starts also muted the big-event feeling for fans and viewers who might have missed the show entirely if they didn’t check the TV listings.
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