NBA hoping new format puts pizazz back into All-star Game
Celebrities will be out to watch Team James battle Team Curry
LOS ANGELES — The stars will be out in Los Angeles, on the basketball court and all around it.
The NBA’S All-star festivities are back at Staples Center, with the usual events on All-star Saturday and a new format for the game Sunday.
Captains Lebron James and Stephen Curry drafted players from the pool of All-stars and the winning team gets a $350,000 donation from the NBA to the charity it chose. The league is hoping the new format that replaced the traditional East-west matchup will make it more competitive after a couple of lackluster games the previous two years.
Perhaps the players can heed the words of Kobe Bryant, who won the MVP award on his home floor when the All-star Game was last in Los Angeles in 2011.
“I feel like we have a sense of responsibility and we are voted in for what we do during the season, which is play hard,” Bryant said after that game. “And we come here, that’s what the fans want to see. They want to see us go at it and see us compete, and that’s what I try to do, and that’s what I try to tell my teammates to do.”
Bryant is gone now, but Beyonce and Jay-z, Jack Nicholson and Justin Bieber are among the celebrities who attended that game and are scheduled to be back this weekend.
Some things to watch as Los Angeles hosts the All-star Game for a record sixth time:
LEBRON IN L.A.: James refuses to discuss his free agency during the season, but figure on it coming up in Los Angeles because there’s been such speculation about him signing with the Lakers. The Lakers, after a trade with James’ Cavaliers last week, would have enough salary cap space to offer a maximum contract to James and another star if he opts to become a free agent and leave Cleveland this summer.
HOMECOMING KINGS: The Los Angeles area is home to a number of All-stars, including 2017 MVP Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City and runner-up James Harden, along with Oklahoma City’s Paul George and Toronto’s Demar Derozan.
SIDELINED STARS: James’ team will look much different from the one he drafted after a number of injuries. Demarcus Cousins,
Kevin Love, John Wall and Kristaps Porzingis were forced to pull out. George, Andre Drummond, Goran Dragic and Kemba Walker were added as injury replacements by commissioner Adam Silver.
DUNKLIKEDAD: Larry Nance Jr., one of the players who went from Los Angeles to Cleveland in the four-player trade at the deadline, will be back in his former home arena to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest. He’ll try to follow in the footsteps — or flight path — of his father, who won the NBA’S first slam dunk title in 1984. Rookies Donovan Mitchell of Utah and Dennis Smith Jr., and Indiana All-star Victor Oladipo round out the field.
ALL-STAR SINGERS: Fergie will sing the U.S. national anthem and Barenaked Ladies will perform the Canadian national anthem. Pharrell Williams and N.E.R.D will take the stage at halftime. points. Teammate Najeeb Muhammad had 26 points and nine assists, Chancellor Johnson had 12 points, and Miles Mixon had 10 rebounds.
Tyrell Brooks and Terrence Brooks each had 14 points to lead the Saints (14-14). Terrence had eight rebounds, and Tyrell had six. No other Mountain View player had more than three points.
Democracy Prep will play Needles for the league title at 2 p.m. Saturday at Del Sol.
— At Del Sol, Trey Tsosie had 13 points and eight rebounds and Gilman Jenkins had 12 points and seven boards to help the Mustangs slide by Lake Mead in overtime.
The 15 points Needles (20-8) scored in overtime were more than in any other quarter.
Donte Bristol had 13 points for the Eagles (13-12). Kaiaokumulani Madela scored 12.
Needles 50, Lake Mead 39 Class 2A Girls Needles 58, Democracy Prep 42
— At Del Sol, Paige Murch and Preslee Murch each scored 18 points to lift the Mustangs over the Blue Knights.
Marie Mills had 14 points for the Mustangs (21-9).
Sharmayne Finley led all scorers with 31 points for the Blue Knights (16-6). She also had 11 rebounds and seven steals.
Needles will play Lincoln County in the title game at noon at Del Sol.
— At Del Sol, Brynlee Wadsworth had a game-high 17 points as the Lynx (23-2) rolled over the Lions (12-11) in the other semifinal.
Brooklyn Hafen had 10 points for the Lynx, who led 18-4 after the first quarter and out-scored the Lions 20-4 in the third quarter.
Taliah Brown scored 16 points to lead the Lions.
Lincoln County 52, Calvary Chapel 28 Class 1A Boys Pahranagat Valley 58, Sandy Valley 28
— At Basic, Richard Lewis had 16 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots, and Culen Highbe scored 14 as the Panthers (23-3) rolled past the Sidewinders.
Brandon Eastham had 18 points for Sandy Valley (7-14).
At Basic, Shawn Shumpert had 18 points and six steals as the Golden Eagles rolled past the Muckers.
Ra’vaun Nibblett added 12 points and 13 rebounds for Spring Mountain (22-4), which plays Pahranagat Valley in the final at 2 p.m. Saturday at Basic.
Spring Mountain 71, Tonopah 32— Class 1A Girls Round Mountain 39, Tonopah 35—
At Basic, Alyssa Hanks had 15 points, 17 rebounds and four steals as the Knights held off the Muckers in a Class 1A Southern League semifinal.
Mckayla Brown added 15 points and six rebounds for Round Mountain (16-4), which plays Pahranagat Valley (19-3) in the final at noon on Saturday at Basic.
Amanda Katzenbach led Tonopah (9-12) with 11 points.
At Basic, Morgan Harris had 14 points, six rebounds, eight assists, three steals and a blocked shot to lead the Panthers past the Eagles in the other semifinal.
Madalyn Taylor added 14 points and five rebounds for Pahranagat Valley.
Taliyah Wilson had 21 points for Word of Life (16-7)
Pahranagat Valley 66, Word of Life 36 —