After an exciting NBA All-Star Weekend, the Blue Zone takes a look at how Duke’s representatives fared in the events.
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics:
Tatum was one of three former Blue Devils selected to participate in the All-Star Weekend events. Along with fellow Duke product Brandon Ingram, Tatum was named to the Team USA roster for the Rising Stars Challenge, a game which pits the best up-and-coming American players against those born internationally.
Led by scoring outbursts by Sacramento Kings guards Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic, Team World cruised to a 155-124 victory over Team USA. Tatum played more minutes than any other player in the game, a testament to the level of respect he has gained around the league. He put up a solid performance, but was somewhat overshadowed by his Celtics teammate Jaylen Brown, who scored a game-high 35. Tatum finished with 15 points to go along with four rebounds and a pair of steals in what looks to be his first of many appearances at All-Star Weekend.
Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics:
Irving put on a show in Los Angeles as he helped lead Team LeBron to a 148-145 win against Team Stephen in the 67th annual NBA All-Star Game. Paired with his former teammates Kevin Love and LeBron James and competing against his current Celtic teammate Al Horford, Irving scored 13 points, dished out nine assists, and grabbed seven rebounds.
The game marked the first time that the All-Star Game would not feature the traditional Eastern Conference versus Western Conference format. Instead, LeBron James and Stephen Curry were selected to be team captains and assembled their teams from the pool of players named all-stars. The change was well-received, and fans and players alike were glad to see a higher level of competitiveness on display Sunday night. Last year’s game, which ended in a 192-182 Western Conference victory, was rightfully criticized for being nothing more than an alley-oop showcase with essentially zero defensive effort. This year, the game came down to the wire and Irving’s 4th quarter scoring was a key factor in the win. In an All-Star first, the game was actually won on a defensive play as a James-Durant double team managed to prevent Team Stephen from getting the tying shot off at the buzzer.
Irving and the Celtics will be back to regular-season action Friday night when they visit the Detroit Pistons.
Brandon Ingram, Los Angeles Lakers:
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics make up the most storied rivalry in professional basketball, but the bond between members of the Duke brotherhood is perhaps just as powerful. Friday night, Ingram and Jayson Tatum put aside their team allegiances and played together for Team USA in the Rising Stars Challenge. Ingram, who struggled in his rookie season, has become an integral part of the Lakers offense and is a major reason why his team is only three victories away from equaling last season’s entire win total. In his last five games, the 20-year-old has scored 21.0 points per game, and is up to 16.2 points per game for the
season. Ingram only played 12 minutes in the Rising Stars Challenge, but scored eight points on an efficient 4-of-6 shooting night.
The Lakers will host the Dallas Mavericks in a nationally-televised matchup Friday night.
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