Chicago Bulls stars DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine ended the NBA All-Star Game in familiar fashion Sunday night — coming through in the clutch.
Both players hit shots in the final stretch of the game as the teams raced to be the first to reach the target of 163 points. After DeRozan drained a jumper to give Team LeBron a 161-155 lead, LaVine had a dunk and a 3-pointer on back-to-back possessions to pull Team Durant within one point.
But captain LeBron James hit the game-winning shot on his former home court for a 163-160 victory.
Although LaVine and DeRozan had hoped to play as teammates rather than opponents, the two Bulls seized the rare opportunity to compete on the court. LaVine got the better of the matchup in the first half, splashing a 3-pointer in DeRozan’s face and throwing down a 360 dunk in transition.
The Bulls All-Stars weren’t heavily involved in the offense. DeRozan scored 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting with five assists in 27 minutes, while LaVine played only 11 minutes off the bench and finished with 12 points and three assists.
Those limited minutes for LaVine were a relief for Bulls fans as the guard returns from knee treatment that forced him to miss the final three games before the break. LaVine said he felt comfortable throughout the game, including when he launched for dunks.
“Did I look OK?” LaVine joked after the game. “The 360 looked all right.”
This was the fifth All-Star appearance for DeRozan and the second for LaVine.
Here are other highlights from the night.
Steph Curry sets 3-point record, wins Most Valuable Player
Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry sank a record 16 3-pointers en route to 50 points — two off the All-Star scoring record set by Anthony Davis in 2017 — on his way to winning the MVP trophy. This was the first time Curry won the award.
Curry took only three of his 30 shots from inside the arc as he smashed the record of nine 3-pointers set by Paul George in the 2016 All-Star Game.
The All-Star MVP trophy was renamed the Kobe Bryant MVP Award after the Los Angeles Lakers legend’s death in 2020.
Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman honored in NBA 75 halftime show
Former Bulls greats Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman were honored at halftime during the NBA 75 ceremony, which showcased the league’s selections as the top 75 players in its history.
Jordan and Rodman were among 45 current and former players on the list — including Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal and Magic Johnson — to attend the ceremony.
Fans were kept guessing whether Jordan — who earlier in the day attended the Daytona 500, where his driver, Bubba Wallace, finished second — would make it to the ceremony hours later. Jordan’s introduction as the last player in the NBA 75 earned the loudest cheer.
Former Bull Scottie Pippen also was on the NBA 75 list but did not attend.
Captain Kevin Durant misses game due to family loss
The All-Star Game was missing one of its captains after Kevin Durant left Cleveland because of the death of his grandmother Sunday. Durant’s mother, Wanda, announced shortly before tipoff that he would be unable to play.
Durant was set to captain an All-Star team for the second time and was seeking his first win as a captain.
Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell also announced shortly before the game that he would be unable to participate because of a non-COVID upper respiratory illness.
All-Stars flex dunks after underwhelming contest
The 2022 Slam Dunk contest quickly gained notoriety for a lack of competitiveness, particularly after the bar was set high by LaVine and Aaron Gordon in previous years.
Despite players attempting stunts — such as Cole Anthony trying to dunk in steel-toed Timberland boots — Saturday’s contest drew ire from fans and players alike for a high rate of misses.
The All-Star teams took matters into their own hands in Sunday’s game. LaVine launched for a 360 dunk, while Giannis Antetokounmpo threw down windmills.
But it was Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant — whom LaVine said he considers the best in-game dunker in the league — who stole the show with high-flying reverse and hammer dunks.
