Tag: NBA All Star Game

Highlights: Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum play in NBA All-Star Game

In the NBA All-Star Game, Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker scored 23 while forward Jayson Tatum got the win with Team LeBron.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum got the win with Team LeBron while Celtics guard Kemba Walker’s 23 points with Team Giannis helped keep the game close and come down to the final possession.

Walker point total was second-most on the team behind captain Giannis Antetokounmpo. He made 9 of 18 shots and scored seven points in the fourth quarter.

Tatum’s 13 minutes played was the second-lowest on the team, but he put up six points, three assists and six steals — and, if you want to get deepre with stats, was +7 in the game.

Tatum stuck true to his tweet saying he’d go “right at” his Celtics teammate but All-Star opponent during the game.

His top play was on the receiving end of an alley-oop pass from Houston Rockets guard James Harden.

Walker dazzled with behind-the-back pass that went between the legs of Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.

He also beat Indiana Pacers big Domantas Sabonis badly off the dribble.

Walker made five 3-pointers on 11 attempts.

Tatum’s Team LeBron got the 157-155 win while Boston was well-represented on both squads.

The Celtics, who went into the break with a 38-16 record and third seed in the Eastern Conference, will resume their regular season Friday at 8 p.m. against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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Pat Connaughton Competes in Controversial Dunk Contest

The dunk contest during this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago will go down in infamy. A fantastic duel between the Miami Heat’s Derrick Jones Jr. and the Orlando Magic’s Aaron Gordon was ruined by questionable judging decisions in the final …

The dunk contest during this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago will go down in infamy. A fantastic duel between the Miami Heat’s Derrick Jones Jr. and the Orlando Magic’s Aaron Gordon was ruined by questionable judging decisions in the final tiebreaking dunk-off. The debate as to who should have won this will live for years.

But before the panel of Dwyane Wade, Common, Candace Parker, Chadwick Bosman and Scottie Pippen made its biggest blunder of the night, it made one that served as a precursor to what eventually happened. Notre Dame legend Pat Connaughton, now with the Milwaukee Bucks, didn’t make it out of the first round even though a strong case could be made for it.

This first dunk, for which Connaughton was dressed in “White Men Can’t Jump” garb and Milwaukee Brewers star Christian Yelich was involved, only netted him a 45, but tell me this shouldn’t have been a 50:

Connaughton’s second dunk involved teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo. He got a 50 this time, but it wasn’t enough to escape the undeserved low score of the first dunk.

Oh, and perhaps in the ultimate show of disrespect, DJ Khaled, who was tasked with introducing the participants, admitted to the whole world he couldn’t pronounce Connaughton’s last name, even though he should have had more than enough time to learn beforehand.

Oh well. Enter the contest again next year, Pat. Maybe things will go a lot better.

Kemba Walker drafted to Team Giannis, Jayson Tatum goes to Team LeBron

The Boston Celtics’ Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum will be facing off during next Sunday’s All-Star Game.

The Boston Celtics’ two All-Stars — point guard Kemba Walker and forward Jayson Tatum — will be facing off against each other when Team Giannis and Team LeBron play against each other for the All-Star Game on February 16.

On Thursday night, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James — the leading vote-getters from each conference — made their draft selections as captains of their respective teams.

Picking their teammates from a pool of 22 All-Stars, Antetokounmpo would select Walker, along with Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid and Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam as his starters with Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler, Heat center Bam Adebayo, Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry and Bucks wing Khris Middleton coming off of the bench.

James selected Los Angeles Lakers teammate Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Clippers wing Kawhi Leonard, Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden and Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic to join him in the starting lineup. Tatum, Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Chris Paul, Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis and Rockets point guard Russell Westbrook will come off of the bench.

After averaging 21.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game this season, this is Tatum’s first All-Star selection, though he’s previously been a participant in All-Star Weekend — in both the Rising Stars game and the Skills Challenge, the latter of which he’ll also participate in this year. Walker will be an All-Star selection for the fourth consecutive time, averaging 22.0 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game.

Next Sunday, at 8 P.M. EST, Boston fans should be sure to tune in to TNT to see the Celtics’ two most exceptional players.

Report: Pat Connaughton To Participate in NBA Slam Dunk Contest

Pat Connaughton of the Milwaukee Bucks will be participating in the annual Slam Dunk Contest

Notre Dame may only currently have one player on an active NBA roster but that one player will be in the spotlight this coming All-Star Weekend as Pat Connaughton of the Milwaukee Bucks will be participating in the annual Slam Dunk Contest.

Shams Charania of The Athletic released that news on Monday:

A few of the responses are incredibly predictable:

LMFAOOO TRASH

You gotta be kidding me lol

white men can’t jump lmao

What?

Huh

Those that watched him at Notre Dame remember his athleticism but in case you’ve forgotten, here’s some of his best from 2018-2019:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjEDre8tyQY&w=560&h=315]

Connaughton averages 17.8 minutes per game for the league-best, 42-7 Bucks.  He’s averaged 4.9 points per game this season and over four rebounds per outing.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum named to first All-Star game

Jayson Tatum has reportedly been selected to the All-Star game as a reserve for the first time in his career.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has been named to his first NBA All-Star Game, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Tatum is averaging 21.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 34.0 minutes per game this season.

The 21-year-old has been a secondary playmaker next to point guard Kemba Walker, who is a starter in the All-Star game. Tatum’s net rating of 11.1 is the highest among Celtics who have played more than 12 games.

His real plus-minus of 4.69 is tied with Dennis Schroder for fifth in the league, according to ESPN. The four players who rank ahead of them are LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden.

Walker and Tatum have helped the Celtics go 31-15 and remain in the middle of the race for the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

The rest of the Eastern Conference reserves, according to Charania, are Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, Ben Simmons, Khris Middleton, Bam Adebayo and Domas Sabonis.

The Western Conference reserves are Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert, Brandon Ingram, Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul.

The All-Star game will take place on Feb. 16 at the United Center in Chicago. It will be televised on TNT.

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