SMOOTHIE KING CENTER, NEW ORLEANS, LA — Four nights after defeating the Kings at Oracle, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors (47-9) participated in the 66th NBA All-Star Game in #NOLA.
Q1: KD And Russ Connect
Curry hit two threes early, the first matching that of LeBron James…
[protected-iframe id=”9a8230233a72668e46b18af0b314ba77-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FNBAonTNT%2Fstatus%2F833489941439008768″ width=”360″ height=”250″ frameborder=”0″]…and the second was assisted by Durant…
[protected-iframe id=”9c2ce9799cacc816e78306201c83da3d-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FJaeAzizi%2Fstatus%2F833490411612016641″ width=”360″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″]…plus a sweet dish that didn’t lead to a stat…
[protected-iframe id=”303f64adcbee8759c9d89681b4f04504-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FJaeAzizi%2Fstatus%2F833490609100828673″ width=”360″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″]…but Giannis Antetokounmpo had a bevy dunks including this one…
[protected-iframe id=”d84e183cbac41bfcad3c22e223a05ff3-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fbballbreakdown%2Fstatus%2F833490600318029825″ width=”360″ height=”250″ frameborder=”0″]Steph even had an alley-oop attempt on a three-quarter-court laser from James Harden, but the pass was too low and Kyrie Irving intercepted, resulting in a dunk by James. Curry was left hanging on the rim.
Later, Durant got a two-hand smash…
[protected-iframe id=”05738eb3b9f7bcaca50b8fb7ea375495-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FJaeAzizi%2Fstatus%2F833491285939884040″ width=”360″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″]…but Steph missed a right corner triple, and hometown All-Star Anthony Davis got buckets:
[protected-iframe id=”3baa0098a2383e37ea671c674a2b76c3-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FNBA%2Fstatus%2F833496147117367296″ width=”360″ height=”250″ frameborder=”0″]“KD” got another smash to close the gap for the West to 24-22, and with 5:18 remaining, head coach Steve Kerr brought Green in along with Russell Westbrook, with Durant staying in the game.
With 4:47 to play, Durant found Westbrook for a dazzling alley-oop…
[protected-iframe id=”a5a942929964dc8d041364f235569b52-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FJaeAzizi%2Fstatus%2F833491747267244034″ width=”360″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″] [protected-iframe id=”766275855d6a47b5286e5475530f4af6-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FNBAonTNT%2Fstatus%2F833492367793467392″ width=”360″ height=”250″ frameborder=”0″]…but perhaps more impressive was the celebration by DeMarcus Cousins that seemed to finally bring levity to the supposed drama between KD and Russ:
[protected-iframe id=”47499a07cfeff3d25222f6e8a61c21a7-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FJaeAzizi%2Fstatus%2F833493048893935616″ width=”360″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″]Curry yelled, “Oh my God, what just happened?!?”
[protected-iframe id=”520eed8e51f012da181ce36e9751429c-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FJaeAzizi%2Fstatus%2F833494802486358016″ width=”360″ height=”250″ frameborder=”0″]Out of the timeout, Kerr brought in Thompson for Durant. Also in were Westbrook, Green, Gordon Hayward, and Marc Gasol.
Klay hit a deep triple from the right hashmark…
[protected-iframe id=”721314a06b5f0f0fd71d2ff86bf09586-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FNBAonTNT%2Fstatus%2F833493152526856196″ width=”360″ height=”250″ frameborder=”0″]…then Isaiah Thomas and Westbrook had a little tete-a-tete, with Thomas missing a dunk, but then backing up for three instead…
[protected-iframe id=”656e90cf17b1e50d25233456e0a7ee95-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FNBAonTNT%2Fstatus%2F833493621248663553″ width=”360″ height=”250″ frameborder=”0″]…and exchanging blows from distance:
[protected-iframe id=”a5d4a1f91a364d6121969b2374fe16b1-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FNBAonTNT%2Fstatus%2F833494971613261824″ width=”360″ height=”250″ frameborder=”0″]Westbrook missed two dunks on lobs by Draymond, sandwiched between a steal from Green.
However, Draymond got a two-hand smash all by himself:
[protected-iframe id=”e8f3f780754908f4eae063829a25eea3-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fwarriors%2Fstatus%2F833496799314718720″ width=”360″ height=”250″ frameborder=”0″]Hayward let Kyle Lowry spin and hit a three from the left corner with 0.4 seconds to go, and the East took a 53-48 lead into the second stanza.
Q2: Steph Gets Hot
Starting the second quarter, Green let Paul George go on a dunk off the backboard to himself, but Klay converted on a nifty give-and-go with DeAndre Jordan.
Thompson added a slam off a lob from Westbrook…
[protected-iframe id=”c1193776db72304c492c913d3c10ffa0-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fwarriors%2Fstatus%2F833498293636263936″ width=”360″ height=”250″ frameborder=”0″]…then Russ went off board to Jordan for an impressive jam:
[protected-iframe id=”93fe466aec3c9e7e4d41c81b40035ad4-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FNBA%2Fstatus%2F833499249979617280″ width=”360″ height=”250″ frameborder=”0″]Off a steal, Klay brought the ball up to the right arc and dished to Westbrook for another smash, Curry came back in to pair up with his Splash Brother, but missed a triple.
James got two impressive dunk contest-level slams, but Davis kept the East at bay with a jam fed by Steph to make it 73-70, West.
Out of a timeout, KD hit a triple…
[protected-iframe id=”8b4dfd9eca97e7fa9903f8a6d3daee04-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FJaeAzizi%2Fstatus%2F833500423591849984″ width=”360″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″]…then got another one, then missed a one-legged heat-check in transition.
LeBron got a video-game dunk…
[protected-iframe id=”953921ff5c1b235add673d768faab16f-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FNBAonTNT%2Fstatus%2F833500654282772480″ width=”360″ height=”250″ frameborder=”0″]…then launched from the logo…
[protected-iframe id=”bdee23d604f1eeff3b7c3da725f92ddb-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FNBAonTNT%2Fstatus%2F833500991227957248″ width=”360″ height=”250″ frameborder=”0″]Antetokounmpo got two buckets at the rim, the second on another steal in the backcourt, James hit another reverse alley-oop, answered by a KD-to-Davis oop, only to get a Kyrie trey in response to give the East the lead, 86-85.
LeBron got another jam to give him 18 points for the half, but Curry came back with a lefty layup, then hit a three from the left wing assisted by Harden:
[protected-iframe id=”615c1bbfdd44e5132108c4cf33329853-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FJaeAzizi%2Fstatus%2F833502695029760002″ width=”360″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″]Steph added another from distance, letting James fly by…
[protected-iframe id=”0c755dbc8f73b8b5a02ce57cd2af75b3-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FJaeAzizi%2Fstatus%2F833503000576421888″ width=”360″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″]…then missed a heave from halfcourt, only to have Durant rebound the miss and feed Davis for another bucket at the rim.
But James found DeMar DeRozan just before the buzzer and the West’s lead, mounted by Curry, was dwindled to 97-92 at halftime.
Steph tallied 14 points on 4-for-8 from downtown, to go along with 3 assists, while Durant had 12 points on 5-for-8 field, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Klay had 9 points on 4-for-7 field and 5 assists, while Draymond added 2 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
The West was led by Westbrook with 19 points, while LeBron led the East with 20.
Durant avoided to the topic yet again at halftime:
[protected-iframe id=”19278d95abe42efc054fe8f6751c5a1e-114320562-10106876″ info=”http://twitframe.com/show?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FJaeAzizi%2Fstatus%2F833503169556602881″ width=”360″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″][twitter-follow screen_name=’poormanscommish’ show_count=’yes’]
(Photo: @letsgowarriors Instagram account via @bowieboy74)
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
