A team exceeded the 200-point mark for the first time in NBA history as the Eastern Conference won the All-Star Game for the first time since 2014, beating the Western Conference 211-186 on Sunday in the annual showcase of the league’s premier talents.
The star-studded rosters featured some of the sport’s biggest names such as LeBron James, Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokić and Kevin Durant.
The scoring frenzy broke an array of records, per the NBA. The East’s point total was the highest ever, eclipsing the 196 set by the Western All-Stars in 2016, while the combined total of 397 surpassed the previous record of 374 set in 2017. The Eastern All-Stars also made a whopping 42 three-pointers to beat the record of 35 set in 2019.
“Everybody was asking what the record was,” Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard said. “We found out and went after it.”
Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns, coming off the bench for the West, led all scorers with 50 points in under 28 minutes. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – a contender for the regular season MVP award – dropped 31 to fuel the West.
Despite the broken records and offensive masterclasses, many fans and pundits have criticized Sunday’s game for its perceived lack of competitiveness.
