Among a galaxy of stars, Stephen Curry shone brightest in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game as he scored 50 points and hit a record-shattering 16 3-pointers to lead Team LeBron to a 163-160 win over Team Durant. Curry deservedly took home the All-Star Game MVP award for the first time in his illustrious career.
Curry’s historic shooting performance overshadowed a tremendous game from Team Durant star Joel Embiid, who showed why he is one of the main candidates to win regular season MVP this year. Meanwhile, LeBron James also made his presence felt in the end on his return to Cleveland.
Read on below as SBOTOP breaks down the top three takeaways from a historic 2022 NBA All-Star Game.
Stephen Curry finally shines brightest in the All-Star Game
For all of Stephen Curry’s brilliance over the years, he has not exactly shone in the All-Star Game, in part because he hasn’t taken it too seriously.
But that has changed over the last couple of years. Last year, he had 28 points and hit eight 3-pointers (both career All-Star Game highs) but was pipped to the MVP by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had a perfect night.
And this year in Cleveland, Chef Curry cooked up a masterpiece of a performance as he went for 50 points, the second-most in All-Star Game history. He shot 17-of-30 from the field, including a record 16-of-27 from beyond the arc, which shattered the record of nine previously held by Paul George.
Curry made most of his NBA 2022 highlights in the second and third quarters, where he went a sizzling 13-of-17 on 3-pointers. Curry slowed down significantly in the fourth, going just 1-of-6 from beyond the arc, but it did little to take away from the absolute brilliance of his performance.
Curry has had his shooting struggles this season and is actually shooting a career-low 38 per cent on 3-pointers. But this otherworldly performance is a reminder that Stephen Curry is without a doubt one the brightest stars in the NBA, and it’s nice that one of the game’s all-time greats finally has his signature performance on the All-Star stage.
Joel Embiid shows off MVP-calibre form in a losing effort
The NBA 2022 odds have Joel Embiid as one of the top frontrunners for this year’s MVP award alongside reigning winner Nikola Jokic, and the Philadelphia 76ers superstar showed why as he came up with another outstanding performance.
Embiid led Team Durant with a team-high 36 points on 14-of-20 shooting, including an impressive 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, which was unfortunately overshadowed by Curry’s historic shooting night.
Embiid didn’t get much help from his fellow starters, but the bench trio of Devin Booker (20 points), LaMelo Ball (18 points) and Dejounte Murray (17 points) stepped up to keep Team Durant quite competitive right until the end.
Embiid is once again having a sensational season for the Sixers. He’s leading the league in scoring at 29.6 points per game, with 11 rebounds and 4.5 assists, as well as top-class defence at the centre position.
The arrival of another All-Star in former MVP James Harden will make the Sixers a legitimate title contender in the second half of the season. But as Embiid made clear in the All-Star Game, he is in MVP-calibre form at the moment and will continue to remain central to the Sixers’ success.
LeBron James comes up clutch again in Cleveland
LeBron James loves playing in All-Star Games, and this year was particularly special as it was held in Cleveland, which is near his hometown of Akron. James also has many fond memories playing in Cleveland for the Cavaliers, whom he led to their first-ever title in 2016.
James came up clutch countless times for the Cavs during his time with the team, and he did so again as he hit the winning basket to give his team the win in the All-Star Game.
James didn’t have the most spectacular game – he scored 24 points, with 6 rebounds and 8 assists, but went 11-of-24 from the field, including 2-of-11 on 3-pointers – but just like almost every game he plays, he finds a way to make a major impact in the end.
With All-Star weekend over, James looks set to return to LA, where his Lakers continue to struggle. The absence of fellow All-Star Anthony Davis due to a foot injury will once again leave LeBron with a heavy burden to bear for the next few weeks.
But while he is no longer the superstar he was during his prime days in Cleveland, LeBron James still has a lot left to offer and will do everything in his power to lead the Lakers as far as he possibly can.
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