NBA All-Star: Team Giannis wins, Tatum sets new record 55 to earn MVP
Team Giannis forward Jayson Tatum (center) dunks the ball during the second half of Team LeBron in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game at Vivint Arena.
Team Giannis took down Team LeBron 184-175, ending Lebron James' five-winning streak as an NBA All-Star Game captain. The Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum has been crowned the All-Star Most Valuable Player (MVP).
The All-Star Weekend came to Salt Lake City for the first time in 30 years as the games were held in Vivint Arena, where Chinese short-track speed skating legend Yang Yang won China's first-ever Winter Olympics gold medal.
Giannis Antetokoumpo, with his right wrist, wrapped, opened the game with an uncontested dunk, and then fouled to leave the court. Another captain, NBA's new all-time scoring leader James didn't play through the game either as he injured his right hand in a chase-down block.
Tatum scored an All-Star Game-record 55 points, refreshing Anthony Davis' old record of 52 points. Donovan Mitchell scored 40 and Damian Lillard added 26 for Team Giannis. On Lebron's side, Jaylen Brown pocketed 35 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, while Joel Embiid and Kyrie Irving both added 32.
In All-Star contests on Saturday, the Utah Jazz team of Jordan Clarkson, Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton won the Skills Challenge, Portland's seven-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard claimed victory in the Three-Point Contest with 26 points, and Mac McClung, who was recently called up from G-League by the Philadelphia 76ers shocked the crowd to title the Slam Dunk Contest.
