The Latest: Toronto hosts NBA all star game
TORONTO _ The Latest on Sunday’s events at the NBA’s All-Star Weekend in Toronto (all times local):
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11:15 p.m.
Russell Westbrook scored 31 points and earned game MVP honours in leading the Western Conference to a 196-173 victory over the East in the 65th NBA all-star game on Sunday, the first time the game was played outside the United States.
Steph Curry added 26 points _ including a dramatic three-point shot with two seconds left _ that drew a massive roar from the Air Canada Centre crowd.
Paul George had 41 points to lead the East, including nine three-pointers that broke the previous record of eight set by Carmelo Anthony (2014).
Kobe Bryant, playing his 18th _ and final _ all-star game, finished with 10 points, and received a standing ovation when he left the floor with just over a minute to play.
DeMar DeRozan had 18 points, while Kyle Lowry finished with 14 in the first time two Toronto Raptors were voted onto the all-star team.
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10:35 p.m.
It might be time soon for some defence at the All-Star game.
The game is headed to the fourth quarter, the only time players usually put any effort into stopping anyone in this spectacle that otherwise is all offence, all the time.
The West leads 145-136 after a big third quarter from Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, who scored 14 of his 22 points. He was the MVP of last year’s game in New York, when his 41 points were one shy of the All-Star Game record held by Wilt Chamberlain.
Paul George leads the East with 32. Anthony Davis has 24 for the West has missed only one of his 13 shots.
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10:25 p.m.
The stars have come out to play at the NBA’s All-Star game in Toronto, and not just on the court.
It’s always an event when the biggest names in basketball are playing at the same time, and among the stars spotted on Sunday were actors Jason Sudeikis, Kevin Hart and Chris Tucker, Super Bowl MVP Von Miller and New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Supermodel Kate Upton and boyfriend Justin Verlander are here as well, along with Jon Stewart.
And of course hip-hop superstar and Toronto native Drake was courtside, right next actor/director Spike Lee.
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10:15 p.m.
Sting, have you forgotten our beloved ‘Roxanne’?
The former Police frontman dealt out hit after hit during the halftime show of the NBA all-star game, playing favourites like ‘Message in a Bottle’ and ‘Every Breath You Take.’
But missing from the list was ‘Roxanne,’ arguably his most popular song.
Sting was coming off a couple weeks of harsh criticism on social media where some questioned why a UK-born artist was chosen to play a basketball game in Canada.
And despite expectations the singer would invite a few Canadian guests on stage – like Drake – there were no such surprises.
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9:38 p.m.
Kawhi Leonard has 13 points and Kobe Bryant has 10 points and five rebounds to help the Western Conference take a 92-90 lead over the East into halftime at the NBA’s All-Star game.
Indiana Pacers forward Paul George leads all scorers with 16 points. LeBron James and Toronto favourite Kyle Lowry each have 11 for the East.
Like usual, the game has been filled with plenty of dunks and offence and very little defence. Playing in his 18th and final All-Star game, Bryant has made 4 of 8 shots.
He had a memorable one-on-one showdown with James in the second quarter. LeBron slapped the floor on defence in front of him as the crowd cheered, but Bryant missed a tough fallaway jumper.
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9:05 p.m.
After one quarter of the All-Star Game, the Eastern Conference leads the Western Conference 43-40.
Kobe Bryant and LeBron James never met in an NBA Finals, so they squared off another way _ they took the opening tap against one another, with Bryant winning.
The East starters all took turns guarding Bryant in the opening minutes, even though “guarding” is a relative term in an All-Star Game.
Dwyane Wade and James re-enacted some of their former Miami Heat hijinks, teaming up for an alley-oop dunk in the opening moments. They could have had another spectacular one midway through the quarter, but James couldn’t finish after a snazzy high bounce pass from Wade.
Paul George leads all scorers with 14 points for the East. Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis each have 10 so far for the West, Davis getting his on 5 for 5 shooting.
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8:55 p.m.
Former Toronto Blue Jays slugger Joe Carter received a nice ovation from the Air Canada Centre crowd during a timeout midway through the first quarter.
Carter, sitting courtside, smiled and waved as he was introduced.
A clip of his famous home run that gave the Toronto Blue Jays the 1993 World Series title was shown on the arena scoreboard.
Other celebrities spotted courtside included Jon Stewart, Kevin Hart and Magic Johnson.
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8:10 p.m.
The celebs mingled in the buildup to the game.
Denver Broncos Super Bowl MVP Von Miller rubbed shoulders with the Minnesota Timberwolves mascot. Sting posed for a photo with Carmelo Anthony. And Spike Lee chatted with players.
Canada’s own Steve Nash, a former MVP, took to the floor to set up the player introductions.
Former Raptor Chris Bosh got booed, as usual.
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7:55 p.m.
Count Eastern Conference All-Star guard Dwyane Wade among those still raving about Saturday night’s dunk contest finale between eventual winner Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon.
Wade says he heard plenty of people say that it was the best contest ever, and the Heat guard says, “I’m starting to think it was.”
Wade was once a very explosive dunker, and says he couldn’t even imagine how LaVine and Gordon came up with some of the dunks they executed on Saturday night. He says people will talk about that matchup for a long time.
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7:15 p.m.
In a game of big men, Isaiah Thomas stands apart.
The Boston Celtics guard stands just five foot nine, tying Calvin Murphy for the title of shortest all-star ever.
Thomas has come a long way to the all-star game. He was the last pick (60th overall) in the 2011 draft.
That makes him the lowest draft pick to make the all-star game since the draft went to two rounds in 1989.
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6:30 p.m.
Toronto Raptors Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan arrived in style for the NBA all-star game, judging from a black and white photo of the two posted on Lowry’s social media.
Wearing sunglasses and suits, the two looked like something out of “Ocean’s Eleven” as they walked through the bowels of the Air Canada Centre.
The photo was simply titled “7 and 10” in reference to their uniform numbers.
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5:30 p.m.
Loyal fans braved the bitter cold in hopes of catching a glimpse of their favourite players ahead of the all-star game.
Outside the Thompson Hotel, official home base for the NBA this weekend, a rotating group of more than 20 people kept their eyes locked to the front entrance, shivering and waiting. Some gripped coffees while others held basketballs they hoped would be signed by a star.
Some of the players seemed to be sneaking out a back entrance by police escort. The sound of sirens sent fans running to the other side of the building to see who they missed.
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2:15 p.m.
After outlasting Aaron Gordon in what many believe was the best slam dunk contest in All-Star weekend history, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine posted a touching tribute to the late Flip Saunders on his Instagram and Twitter accounts.
Saunders, the Timberwolves president and coach, died suddenly from Hodgkins lymphoma just days before the season started. Saunders drafted LaVine 13th overall two years ago despite the young guard playing only one season as a bench player at UCLA.
LaVine posted a photo of his dunk championship trophy resting on a black Timberwolves jersey. The name “FLIP” was written across the back and LaVine’s No. 8 was rotated horizontally to mimic an infinity sign.
“I dedicate this dunk contest and the trophy to my late coach, Flip Saunders and the Saunders family,” LaVine wrote. “He’s the one that always believed in me and drafted me! We all loved Flip and his memory will love on forever!”
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Zach LaVine called it the best dunk contest ever, a showdown with Aaron Gordon that rivaled what Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins did.
Maybe they will come back next year and do it again. In fact, Gordon says, if the league wants him to go to Charlotte, “I probably will.”
For now, it’s time to turn the attention at All-Star weekend back where it was at the start: Kobe Bryant and the rest of the NBA’s best.
The All-Star Game tips off Sunday night, when the crowd might still be buzzing over the performances LaVine and Gordon put on to cap off All-Star Saturday.
LaVine finally won after extra dunks were needed, joining Jordan, Jason Richardson and Nate Robinson as the only back-to-back winners of the dunk title.