INDIANAPOLIS — After months of stressing the importance of having a more competitive product on the court for this weekend’s All-Star Game, NBA commissioner Adam Silver doubled down on that front Saturday night, declaring, “I think we’re going to see a good game” in the NBA’s annual midseason showcase at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday.
But after the 73rd All-Star Game looked exactly like last year’s lackluster performance in Salt Lake City — with the Eastern Conference setting the all-time scoring record by becoming the first team to surpass 200 points in what was eventually a 211-186 victory over the Western Conference — Silver’s annoyance at what took place was clearly on display.
“And to the Eastern Conference All-Stars, you scored the most points,” Silver said flatly. “Well … congratulations.”
It was a fitting end to an evening that did nothing to stop the discussions over what the future of the NBA’s marquee midseason event should look like moving forward. The NBA threw its weight behind making this game a priority for its players all season, with both Silver and Hall of Famer Joe Dumars, the NBA’s executive vice president and head of basketball operations, repeatedly saying that getting more effort out of the All-Stars was a priority.
Instead, it was another game with virtually no defense and with little to no life inside the building — to the point that the Los Angeles Lakers‘ Anthony Davis said his most memorable moment was when the hype teams from the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers went through their dunk routines between the third and fourth quarters.
“I think the best [moment], we were talking about it, was the Bulls and the Pacers dunkers,” Davis said. “With the trampoline? They were very, very impressive.”
And, ultimately, Sunday’s game left things in the exact same place they were in a year ago: with the NBA throwing up its hands about the fact this weekend, one of the tentpole events on its calendar, ended with a thud, and the players all but universally admitting that while they sympathize with efforts to improve the event, it’s not as simple as just deciding to play a little harder.
“I think it’s something we need to figure out,” said Lakers star LeBron James, who set a new record with his 20th All-Star Game appearance Sunday night but didn’t play in the second half as he manages a balky left ankle. “Obviously from a player’s perspective, it’s fun to get up and down….
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