It was a record-setting night in terms of total points and for Kobe Bryant who passed Michael Jordan for most points ever in All-Star games after scoring 27 points.
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| Photo courtesy ESPN.com |
This All-Star game was a duel between the two best players in the NBA: LeBron James and Kevin Durant. The two went back and forth all night, trying to outdo their counterpart. It should come as no surprise that each scored 36 points. LeBron uncharacteristically cashed in on six threes and sparked the East's comeback after trailing by over 20 points. But it was Durant who earned the MVP honors becuase the West did hang on for the victory.
It is my hope that this duel was foreshadowing what we will see in the NBA Finals. Heat-Thunder. They are the two best teams in the NBA with the two best players in the league. A LeBron-Wade and Durant-Westbrook finals would certainly be an entertaining one.
I'm not sure any team is capable of beating the Heat in a seven-game series, but the Thunder would have the best chance of doing so simply becuase Durant is that good. He is the best pure scorer in the league right now without question.
On another note-- with the Olympics drawing near, this might be the best Olympic squad since the "Dream Team" with MJ, Bird and Magic. This version will likely have LeBron, Wade, Durant, Bryant, Rose, Paul, Howard, Carmelo and Griffin. Can somebody say unbeatable?
While there was a lack of defense in this game, it came down to the wire and was competitive. The NBA has to be happy with the outcome. This is what fans came to see, and it showcased some great offensive plays.
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