8 winners and 4 losers from another great NBA All-Star Game

Team LeBron was down big, then rallied back to hand Team Giannis a 178-164 win in the 2019 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night. It was a perfect end to an action-packed All-Star Weekend, and a great example of the new format coming into play.

There were a handful of winners and losers from the All-Star Game. So without further ado, we’re going to get right into it.

This is the obligatory first winner because Team LeBron actually won the All-Star Game.

Yep, you guessed it.

Just watch the highlight reel. There’s a reason the man won All-Star MVP. He shot 10-of-15 from the field.

Maybe he didn’t get much attention for winning MVP, but he still won MVP. That should make him a winner.

Dame shot 6-of-17 from the field — all threes — and they all looked a little something like this.

He made five of those six threes in the second and third quarters, and in those two periods, Lillard was plus-23. Dame was in the All-Star MVP conversation because his pull-up threes powered Team LeBron’s massive come back.

Did you know Steph could do this?

How about this?

Stephen Curry, high-flyer.

Giannis was the best player on the floor, and in an All-Star Game, that holds extra meaning. He was the surefire MVP if his team would have held on for the win.

Also, he combined with Curry for one of the best highlights in All-Star history.

Uhh, for a good chunk of time, TNT and TBS broadcasts sounded like this:

And everyone noticed.

Eventually they fixed it, but it was very awkward for such a large event.

Adam Silver named Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade special roster additions to this year’s All-Star Game, and then he presented them with dope framed All-Star jerseys. So classy. You have to be a different caliber of ball player to earn this type of treatment.

Then, Dirk went out and did what Dirk does.

Paul George was a minus-22, and Russell Westbrook was a minus-19 while shooting his team out of the game. Yikes.

With the All-Star Game in his team’s home city of Charlotte, Walker — a first-time All-Star starter — scored just four points on 0-of-5 shooting from three. He still had eight assists to no turnovers, BUT COME ON, KEMBA. YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO GO FOR 50.

This would have been very ugly had Team LeBron gotten demolished by Team Giannis, and it looked like the game was headed that way. But somehow, Team LeBron rallied to turn it around for a double-digit win.

Oh, here’s one thing to mention: Team LeBron also included Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, and Anthony Davis. The first four of those five will become unrestricted free agents this summer. Davis, of course, was almost traded to Los Angeles weeks ago.

It would have been a terrible look for LeBron to lose this game. He didn’t. Soul spared.

The All-Star Game was fun, the crowd was electric, and the game itself was full of drama and highlights. It was the perfect end to a terrific weekend showcase. Everybody wins.