History was made in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game as Jayson Tatum set a new ASG record with 55 points to lead Team Giannis past Team LeBron, 184-175.
LeBron James, who sat out the second half with a hand injury, saw his five-game winning streak as All-Star Game captain snapped. That was despite fellow captain Giannis Antetkounmpo taking part in just one play and sitting out the remainder of the game with a wrist injury.
Aside from Tatum, former Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell put on a show on his old home floor to help Team Giannis come out on top.
Read on as SBOTOP recaps all the big takeaways from this record-breaking All-Star Game in Salt Lake City.
Jayson Tatum sets new All-Star record with 55 points
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum set a new record for most points in the NBA All-Star Game as he scored 55 points on 22-of-31 shooting, including 10-of-18 on 3-pointers, and added 10 rebounds and 6 assists to lead Team Giannis to a 184-175 win.
Tatum scored 27 of his record-setting 55 points in the third period, which was also an All-Star record for the most points in a single quarter.
Tatum broke Anthony Davis’ record of 52 points, which he set back in 2017. As a result, Tatum – who grew up idolizing the late, great Kobe Bryant – was awarded the Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP trophy.
This spectacular All-Star game performance is the latest in Tatum’s growing list of accolades as he continues his rise to superstardom. After helping Team USA win the gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics last summer, Tatum led the Celtics to the NBA Finals last season and was an All-NBA First Team selection for the first time.
And Tatum is having another fantastic season for the NBA-leading Celtics. He is averaging 30.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists and is very much in the NBA regular season MVP conversation as well.
Captains LeBron and Giannis banged up
This year’s All-Star Game was already missing some massive stars in the form of 2022 All-Star MVP Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Zion Williamson, who were all injured. And it then witnessed just one total half combined from the two team captains, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
After making the first basket of the game, Giannis immediately committed a foul to leave the game and did not return as he continues to deal with a wrist injury. Meanwhile, James sat out the second half after picking up a hand injury. LeBron’s final stat line was 13 points, 4 assists, and 1 rebound in 14 minutes.
Tatum and Donovan Mitchell stepped up in Antetokounmpo’s absence for Team Giannis, while newly crowned 3-point contest champion Damian Lillard added 26 points off the bench, including the game-clinching 3-pointer.
On the other side, the European duo of Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic did not make much of an impact as they had just 4 points apiece. Instead, it was the duo of Joel Embiid and Kyrie Irving that starred for Team LeBron as they each had 32 points.
Tatum’s Celtics team-mate Jaylen Brown, who was wearing a mask after suffering a facial injury in a collision with Tatum, led Team LeBron with 35 points off the bench. First-time All-Star guards Tyrese Haliburton and Anthony Edwards combined for 30 points.
However, their efforts were not enough to prevent LeBron James from losing his perfect record as All-Star Game captain.
Hopefully, neither LeBron’s nor Giannis’ injury turns out to be too serious as their health will significantly impact their respective teams’ NBA 2023 odds of success.
Donovan Mitchell puts on a show in Utah
While Tatum grabbed the headlines with his record-breaking game, Donovan Mitchell’s game should not be overlooked.
The Cleveland Cavaliers guard produced plenty of NBA 2023 highlights during the All-Star Game as he finished with 40 points (15-25 FG, 8-17 3-PT FG) and 10 assists to help power Team Giannis past Team LeBron.
After spending his first five seasons in the league in Utah, Mitchell was traded by the Jazz to the Cavs this offseason in a blockbuster deal. That move has been huge for the Cavs, as Mitchell has averaged 27.3 points to lead the Cavs to a top-four seed in the East.
Mitchell got a good ovation from the Utah crowd during the opening introductions, and he put on quite a show on his old home floor.
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