SIMMONS SHINES IN NBA ALL-STARS VICTORY Shield depth set to be tested
BASKETBALL: LeBron James and his squad featuring Ben Simmons and Kawhi Leonard have hung on to win an NBA AllStar game thriller.
Team LeBron won 157-155 in Chicago under new rules designed to prevent a repeat of past dull All-Star games.
The new format honoured late great Kobe Bryant, with its competitiveness aided by a winning final-quarter score target, set at 157, instead of playing to the clock.
Team LeBron’s Anthony Davis sank a free throw to clinch the game after an intense fourth quarter where the teams gave up the alley-oop dunks and non-existent defence of the first three quarters.
Leonard was named the inaugural winner of the Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP Award.
Team LeBron began hot with Melbourne-born Simmons slamming four dunks and Leonard hitting his first four three-point shots to take a 53-41 at the end of the first quarter.
Simmons ended the game with 17 points. Leonard had 30 points.
The game began on a sombre note with the 21,000 fans packed into the United Center joining hands to pay tribute to Bryant, who died with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash in Los Angeles on January 26.
The 157 target score was set after Team Giannis led at the end of the third quarter 133-124. The target was set by adding 24 points to Team Giannis’ 133. Team LeBron had to score 33 final-quarter points to win.
Peter Mitchell
Queensland quick Mark Steketee admits the Bulls’ depth will be tested in their next Sheffield Shield clash against Victoria after losing some of their biggest names to Australia A duty.
Queensland were on cloud nine after clinching a 10-wicket win over Tasmania within three days at the Gabba on Sunday.
However, the Bulls appear to have little time to savour the thumping victory ahead of their next clash with Victoria in Brisbane starting next Monday.
They will be forced to dig deep into their squad to cover the loss of Steketee, fellow quick Michael Neser, skipper Usman Khawaja and leggie Mitchell Swepson who will play in Australia A’s four-day, day-night match against England Lions starting at the MCG on Saturday.
“I dare say it will be a test of depth,” Steketee (pictured) said of the upcoming Shield game. “But we have given some of the younger guys a bit of a run earlier in the season.
“And some of those younger guys are starting to step up which is nice to see.”