NBA

What Happened Last Night: The NBA All-Star Game, For Six Minutes In The 4th Quarter

Too focused on “The Walking Dead” or Showtime’s Sunday television lineup? That’s fine, we get it. The NBA All-Star game was its usual dunkfest with specks of effort, so here’s what you missed.

Chris Paul was the MVP of the All-Star Game.

Paul led the way with 20 points and 15 assists, the latter of which came mostly because the All-Star game does not particularly feature defense. In other, gambling news, the West covered the -3.5 spread with the 143-138 win, and the under (294) took it home quite easily. Chris Bosh, who replaced the injured Rajon Rondo as the East’s 5th starter, proceeded to embarrass himself on multiple occasions, throwing up airballs and watching Tony Parker and Chris Paul dribble through his legs (more on that later). Also: Kobe Bryant had 8 assists!

The game finally took a turn for the better with six minutes to go in the fourth, reaching its apex when Joakim Noah picked up Chris Paul on a switch. Paul backed out to take Noah one-on-one, and Noah, being very Noah, crouched and gesticulated and sported a rabid intensity. But Paul shook Noah with a slight hesitation, creating just enough space to launch and nail a three over Noah’s outstretched hand. Despite back-to-back Paul George three-pointers on the next two possessions, the West had this one all but wrapped up.

The NBA gets back to it tomorrow, kicking things off with a riveting matchup between Charlotte and Orlando. But don’t worry: only a few months until playoffs.