It was a couple of days ago that the All Star break ended and we are back in action with the NBA regular season. Before we make the final countdown for the playoffs, let’s relive the fun filled All Star weekend as it just cannot be left without a mention.
>> Check out the preview of the All Star weekend 2018 via thepapare.com
Rising stars Challenge
The World against USA! Rookies and sophomores hooping under two camps, marked the first ball game of the All Star weekend and it sure was exciting to watch. The young talent that the league possesses is mind-blowing and it’s bound to get better, year by year. The future is undoubtedly in good hands.
Ben Simmons, Buddy Hield, Jamal Murray, Dario Saric, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Domantas Sabonis and Lauri Markkanen are a few of the ‘rising stars’ of the league who were clad in orange representing the World team.
Dennis Smith Jr., Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and Jayson Tatum took the floor representing their native land, USA.
As lock down defense is rarely seen in All Star games, offense was on song from both ends of the floor.
Since the beginning, consistent offense was carried out by team World as they scored a whopping 40 points in both the first and third quarters. USA had a 5-point lead with 6:15 minutes left in the first quarter and that’s as far as they rose above their opponent throughout the course of the game.
At half time, the scores read 78-59 with the World leading and 77 points were scored in addition during the second half, giving them the biggest lead of the game; 39 points. At the end of four quarters, scores read 155-124 with the World squad emerging victorious.
Jaylen Brown of team USA had a break out game, scoring 35 points and getting 10 rebounds while Kyle Kuzma and Jayson Tatum chipped in with 20 and 15 points respectively. A “between the legs” dunk made by Brown marked the play of the night but his performance didn’t suffice to end on the winning side.
Pure dominance was showcased by the World ballers as 8 players scored in double figures. The game changers were Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic representing Sacramento Kings, who scored 29 and 26 points respectively. Bogdanovic who had the hot hand shot 7-13 from the 3-point line, along with 6 assists and 4 rebounds, securing the honors of MVP of the Rising Stars challenge 2018.
? @LeaderOfHorde takes home the #KickstartRisingStars MVP! pic.twitter.com/PchbNdTZ7E
— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2018
Check out the video below to see the Serbian baller going berserk on the floor!
All Star Celebrity Game
When the Celebrity Game of the All Star weekend is concerned, the absence of Kevin Hart should be mentioned above everything and everyone. The 4-time MVP finally claimed that,
“As a 4-time MVP at this point, I can’t do no more. It’s Kobe, LeBron, me.. it’s literally all the greats”.
With no Hart on the floor to punch sudden fits of humor, shoes weren’t flying about and players weren’t stripping to their tights in front of referees to stop the gameplay but it surely had a surprisingly energetic vibe.
The famed rapper Quavo and the Olympic sprinter Andre DeGrasse showed admirable hooping skills representing Team Clippers as they edged over Team Lakers with the final scores being 75-66. Quavo scored a game high 19 points to go along with the 17 points scored by DeGrasse.
Rachel Demita, the NBA 2K hostess pulled up jumpers and long range shots scoring 17 points for Team Clippers which was finally proven insufficient.
Justin Bieber, the Netflix TV series “Stranger Things” star; Caleb McLaughlin, Nick Cannon, Tracy McGrady and Nate Robinson also took the floor for Team Lakers as Miles Brown, Common, Jamie Foxx, Bubba Watson, Paul Pierce and Jason Williams were clad in orange representing Team Clippers.
Quavo emerged as the MVP of the 2018 All Star Celebrity Game and here’s a clip of him showcasing his hooping skills.
As the recap on two of the ball games at All Star weekend winds up, you better not move but wait for the next round up on the “All Star game 2018” and it’s guaranteed to blow you away!
