Two All-Star starts, two double-doubles, two times finishing with a game high in assists for Trae Young.
Although Team Durant fell to Team LeBron 163-160 in the All-Star game on Sunday night in Cleveland, the Hawks guard finished with a double-double of 13 points and a game-high 10 assists, representing the Hawks well on the big stage.
Young entered the game aiming to nab a dunk of his own but instead contributed his usual playmaking. He paired well with fellow Team Durant starter Ja Morant, setting up the Grizzlies star on a handful of stellar finishes.
This marked Young’s second time as an All-Star starter, having made his first All-Star start two years ago in Chicago in his second NBA season. He missed the cut for last year’s tamped-down All-Star game in Atlanta despite having stats that put him in the conversation. In his first All-Star start, Young had a game-high 10 assists, plus 10 points for a double-double, despite garnering the least playing time of any starter (15 minutes, 44 seconds) and not playing in the fourth quarter.
This time, his playing time increased to 19 minutes, and he was in the closing lineup. The Sixers’ Joel Embiid led Team Durant with 36 points and 10 rebounds in a little over 30 minutes.
The Warriors’ Steph Curry of Team LeBron set an All-Star game record with 16 3-pointers, finishing with a game-high 50 points and winning the Kobe Bryant MVP Award.
“It was crazy,” Young said of Curry’s performance. “He was hitting some shots, hitting some half-court shots. I was talking to him as the ball was in the air. It was crazy. He was hitting some crazy shots, but that’s what he does. He’s the best shooter of all time for a reason.”
The format was the same as the past two years, which has dramatically increased the intensity and competitiveness in the game. Each team represented a charity (Greater Cleveland Food Bank for Team Durant and Kent State University I Promise Scholars Program for Team LeBron). Both charities started with a $150,000 contribution, and for each of the first three quarters, the team that won the quarter earned another $100,000 for their charity. Team LeBron won the first quarter, then Team Durant won the second quarter.
The third quarter ended in a 45-45 tie, so both charities received $50,000. Team Durant entered the fourth quarter with a 139-138 lead vs. Team LeBron, and a target score of 163 was selected for the fourth quarter to determine the winner. With the win, Team LeBron’s charity received another $150,000.
Curry’s hot shooting gave Team LeBron a boost, but it still came down to the final basket. Fittingly, the Lakers’ LeBron James, playing in his home state and former team’s arena, made the last shot to seal the win.
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