Team LeBron beat Team Giannis 157-155 at the 2020 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago.
Unlike recent All-Star games, both teams started off playing relatively seriously on the defensive end but Kawhi Leonard was hot early from the three-point line while LeBron James dazzled with a couple of dunks in transition. Anthony Davis also got in on the fun, knocking down jumpers and finishing off easy dunks to give Team LeBron the advantage.
Team LeBron continued to roll midway through the quarter as they were able to turnover Team Giannis and get out on the break, extending their lead to double digits. Chris Paul and Ben Simnmons carried the offense and Team LeBron won the first quarter, 53-41.
Much like the first, Team Giannis came out focused on the defensive end and looked to push the pace a bit more off Team LeBron’s misses, taking the early lead. Giannis Antetokounmpo finally got going, getting loose for easy dunks and layups to give his team a double-digit lead of their own.
Leonard came off the bench and remained hot from the field, hitting several tough jumpers from beyond the arc but Team Giannis answered from distance and were able to maintain the momentum. Team Giannis was able to knife through Team LeBron’s defense and won the second quarter by a commanding 51-30 and also took the total score lead, 92-83.
Team Giannis carried their momentum from the second quarter into the third quarter as they were able to string several stops together on defense and get out on the break to take the lead. Despite that, Team LeBron was able to close the gap after Luka Doncic nailed a couple of triples.
Simmons was able to briefly give Team LeBron the lead after a dunk, but Team Giannis quickly responded with a pair of buckets to retake control. It was a back and forth finish to the period, but it ended with a 41-41 tie after Rudy Gobert flushed a lob from Trae Young.
With the fourth quarter underway, both teams began to play much more seriously on both ends but Team LeBron came out as the aggressor, getting stops and narrowing the deficit. Paul was a massive lift as he was able to knock down a couple of threes to get them within striking distance.
The defensive intensity kicked up several notches with each team making rotations, contesting shots, and fouling at the rim to prevent easy field goals. In what was a chippy and competitive finish, Davis was able to give Team LeBron the hard-fought win after nailing his second free throw attempt.
