By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The East superstars hosted a massive three-point splash party to crush the Western Conference roster, 211-186, during the NBA All-Star Game held in Indianapolis last February 19, 2024.
Damian Lillard picked up where he left off after winning his second straight NBA All-Star Three-Point Shootout title a day ago, dropping 39 points built from 11 made treys alongside six assists, three rebounds, and a steal.
With his terrific offensive performance, Lillard was awarded with the 2024 Kobe Bryant NBA All-Star Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
Despite entering the highly-anticipated battle of the NBA superstars with a smaller roster, the East squad came out firing from all cylinders in the opening quarter.
Tyrese Haliburton, the star floor general of the Indiana Pacers, received a warm round of applause from his fans after draining five quick three-pointers out of his six total attempts in the first quarter.
With his waxing hot shooting in the first 12 minutes, Haliburton helped the East clinch a slim 53-47 advantage heading into the second frame.
It was still the East who came out on top as Lillard’s three-point efficiency helped them maintain the lead, outscoring the Western squad, 51-42, to take a 15-point lead heading into the last two quarters.
Just when the West thought they could capitalize on their size advantage, the Doc Rivers-led East team continued its high-octane pace and out-ran the West throughout the game.
Lillard continued his consistent shooting from downtown while Jaylen Brown and Haliburton answered every basket the West members made.
Backstopping Lillard for the Eastern team was Brown who became the squad’s second-best scorer with 36 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.
Meanwhile, Haliburton wrapped up his first-ever NBA All-Star start with 32 points built from a 10/14 shooting from the three-point line.
With the high-scoring performance the Eastern Conference displayed, they now hold the record for the most points in a half during an NBA All-Star Game and became the first team to go over the 200-point mark in the prestigious event.
