2018 NBA ALL-STAR GAME
TEAM LEBRON 148 - TEAM STEPHEN 145
LeBron James: 29 Points, 10 Rebounds, 8 Assists
NBA All-Star Game MVP: LeBron James
2018 NBA All-Star Game Recap
The 67th NBA All-Star Game took place on February 18, 2018, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Team LeBron defeated Team Stephen 148-145 before 17,801 spectators. Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James earned his third NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player award after recording 29 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
The game introduced a major change to the NBA's annual showcase. Rather than matching the Eastern Conference against the Western Conference, the league allowed two captains to select their own teams from the pool of All-Star starters and reserves. LeBron James and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry served as the inaugural captains.
The new format brought together players from both conferences on the same roster and placed several NBA teammates on opposing sides. James selected a roster featuring Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, while Curry's team included James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid and DeMar DeRozan.
Team Stephen opened the game strongly, taking a 42-31 lead after the first quarter. Team LeBron responded with a 45-point second quarter, trimming the halftime deficit to 78-76.
Both teams played with noticeably greater defensive intensity than in several recent All-Star Games. Team Stephen maintained a 112-109 lead entering the fourth quarter and built an 11-point advantage with approximately six minutes remaining.
Team LeBron then mounted a dramatic comeback, closing the game on a 25-11 run. James tied the score at 144 with a step-back three-pointer with 1:31 remaining and later scored the go-ahead layup with 34.5 seconds left after passes from Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook added a fast-break layup with 10.7 seconds remaining to extend Team LeBron's lead to three points. On the final possession, James and Durant trapped Curry near the sideline, preventing Team Stephen from attempting a clean game-tying shot.
James finished 12-for-17 from the field and made four of his eight three-point attempts. His 29 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists earned him his third All-Star MVP award, joining his previous victories in 2006 and 2008.
Durant added 19 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals for Team LeBron. Paul George scored 16 points, while Bradley Beal and Andre Drummond each contributed 14. Kyrie Irving recorded 13 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
For Team Stephen, Damian Lillard and DeMar DeRozan tied for the team scoring lead with 21 points apiece. Joel Embiid scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds in his first All-Star appearance, while Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Giannis Antetokounmpo added 16 points and seven rebounds. Klay Thompson made five three-pointers and scored 15 points, while James Harden finished with 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
Stephen Curry, serving as captain, scored 11 points and added six rebounds and five assists. Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry contributed four points, seven rebounds and a team-high 11 assists.
The game was also notable for several injury replacements. DeMarcus Cousins, Kevin Love, Kristaps Porzingis and John Wall were unable to participate. Paul George, Andre Drummond, Kemba Walker and Goran Dragic were named as replacements. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jimmy Butler was available but did not play because of a coach's decision.
With both teams representing charities and the winning players receiving larger prize payments, the 2018 All-Star Game placed renewed emphasis on competition. The result was a close contest decided by defense and execution in the final minute rather than another record-breaking offensive exhibition.
The 2018 NBA All-Star Game is remembered for the debut of the captain-selected team format, LeBron James' late-game heroics, his third MVP award and one of the most competitive finishes in the event's recent history.
2018 NBA All-Star Game Information
Date: February 18, 2018
Location: Los Angeles, California
Arena: Staples Center
Attendance: 17,801
Final Score: Team LeBron 148, Team Stephen 145
Most Valuable Player: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Team LeBron Captain: LeBron James
Team Stephen Captain: Stephen Curry
Team LeBron Coach: Dwane Casey, Toronto Raptors
Team Stephen Coach: Mike D'Antoni, Houston Rockets
Leading Scorer: LeBron James, 29 points
Leading Rebounders: LeBron James and Karl-Anthony Towns, 10 each
Leading Assists: Kyle Lowry, 11
Leading Vote-Getter: LeBron James, 2,638,294 fan votes
Officials: James Capers, Tony Brown and Gary Zielinski
2018 NBA All-Star Game Score by Quarter
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|
| Team LeBron | 31 | 45 | 33 | 39 | 148 |
| Team Stephen | 42 | 36 | 34 | 33 | 145 |
Team LeBron Box Score - 148 Points
Captain: LeBron James | Head Coach: Dwane Casey, Toronto Raptors
| Player | NBA Team | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS |
| Starters |
| LeBron James (MVP) | Cleveland Cavaliers | 31:17 | 12-17 | 4-8 | 1-1 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 29 |
| Kevin Durant | Golden State Warriors | 29:57 | 7-13 | 3-8 | 2-2 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 19 |
| Kyrie Irving | Boston Celtics | 27:36 | 6-16 | 1-5 | 0-0 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 13 |
| Anthony Davis | New Orleans Pelicans | 16:40 | 6-9 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 12 |
| Russell Westbrook | Oklahoma City Thunder | 28:28 | 4-11 | 1-6 | 2-3 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 |
| Reserves |
| Paul George | Oklahoma City Thunder | 26:30 | 6-15 | 4-10 | 0-0 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
| Bradley Beal | Washington Wizards | 16:51 | 5-10 | 4-8 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| Andre Drummond | Detroit Pistons | 17:36 | 7-7 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14 |
| Kemba Walker | Charlotte Hornets | 14:09 | 5-10 | 1-5 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| Victor Oladipo | Indiana Pacers | 15:00 | 3-8 | 1-6 | 0-0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Goran Dragic | Miami Heat | 11:28 | 1-3 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| LaMarcus Aldridge | San Antonio Spurs | 4:28 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TEAM TOTALS | | 240 | 62-120 | 19-58 | 5-6 | 55* | 40 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 18 | 148 |
Team Stephen Box Score - 145 Points
Captain: Stephen Curry | Head Coach: Mike D'Antoni, Houston Rockets
| Player | NBA Team | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS |
| Starters |
| DeMar DeRozan | Toronto Raptors | 26:46 | 7-13 | 1-3 | 6-7 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 21 |
| Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | 20:04 | 8-13 | 2-4 | 1-1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 19 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | 26:35 | 6-14 | 0-2 | 4-6 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 16 |
| James Harden | Houston Rockets | 27:04 | 5-19 | 2-13 | 0-0 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 12 |
| Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | 26:34 | 4-14 | 3-11 | 0-0 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 11 |
| Reserves |
| Damian Lillard | Portland Trail Blazers | 20:56 | 9-14 | 3-8 | 0-0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | Minnesota Timberwolves | 18:11 | 7-11 | 1-4 | 2-2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 |
| Klay Thompson | Golden State Warriors | 21:24 | 5-11 | 5-10 | 0-0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 |
| Al Horford | Boston Celtics | 12:45 | 2-4 | 0-2 | 2-2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Kyle Lowry | Toronto Raptors | 21:26 | 2-11 | 0-8 | 0-0 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Draymond Green | Golden State Warriors | 18:15 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3-4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Did Not Play |
| Jimmy Butler | Minnesota Timberwolves | Did not play (coach's decision). |
| TEAM TOTALS | | 240 | 55-124 | 17-65 | 18-22 | 77* | 35 | 10 | 5 | 17 | 8 | 145 |
Statistical abbreviations: MIN = Minutes; FG = Field Goals Made-Attempted; 3PT = Three-Pointers Made-Attempted; FT = Free Throws Made-Attempted; REB = Rebounds; AST = Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocked Shots; TO = Turnovers; PF = Personal Fouls; PTS = Points.
* Team rebound totals include team rebounds: Team LeBron had 49 player rebounds plus 6 team rebounds; Team Stephen had 68 player rebounds plus 9 team rebounds.
2018 NBA All-Star Game Team Statistics
| Statistic | Team LeBron | Team Stephen |
|---|
| Final Score | 148 | 145 |
| Field Goals | 62-120 | 55-124 |
| Field Goal Percentage | 51.7% | 44.4% |
| Three-Point Field Goals | 19-58 | 17-65 |
| Three-Point Percentage | 32.8% | 26.2% |
| Free Throws | 5-6 | 18-22 |
| Free-Throw Percentage | 83.3% | 81.8% |
| Player Rebounds | 49 | 68 |
| Team Rebounds | 6 | 9 |
| Total Rebounds | 55 | 77 |
| Assists | 40 | 35 |
| Steals | 10 | 10 |
| Blocked Shots | 3 | 5 |
| Turnovers | 14 | 17 |
| Personal Fouls | 18 | 8 |
| First-Half Points | 76 | 78 |
| Second-Half Points | 72 | 67 |
| Combined Points | 293 |
2018 NBA All-Star Game Roster Notes
DeMarcus Cousins - Injured
New Orleans Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins was selected to Team LeBron but missed the game after suffering a torn left Achilles tendon. Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George was named as his replacement.
Kevin Love - Injured
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love missed the game because of a fractured left hand. Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond replaced him.
Kristaps Porzingis - Injured
New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis was unable to play because of a torn left ACL. Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker replaced him.
John Wall - Injured
Washington Wizards guard John Wall missed the game while recovering from a knee injury. Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic was selected as his replacement.
Jimmy Butler - Did Not Play
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jimmy Butler was selected to Team Stephen but did not enter the game. His absence was recorded as a coach's decision.
Joel Embiid - First All-Star Appearance
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid made his first NBA All-Star appearance, recording 19 points and eight rebounds for Team Stephen.
Goran Dragic - First All-Star Appearance
Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic made his first All-Star appearance as an injury replacement, scoring two points and collecting four rebounds.
2018 NBA All-Star Game Historical Notes
First Captain-Selected NBA All-Star Game
LeBron James and Stephen Curry became the first All-Star captains under the new player-draft format. Players from both conferences could appear on the same team.
LeBron James Wins His Third All-Star MVP
James scored 29 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and recorded eight assists to win his third All-Star MVP award, following previous honors in 2006 and 2008.
Team LeBron Completes a Fourth-Quarter Comeback
Team LeBron erased an 11-point deficit with six minutes remaining and finished the game on a 25-11 run.
LeBron James Scores the Winning Basket
James scored a driving layup with 34.5 seconds remaining to put Team LeBron ahead for good.
Defense Decides the Final Possession
James and Kevin Durant trapped Stephen Curry near the sideline, preventing Team Stephen from attempting a clean game-tying shot.
Kyle Lowry Records 11 Assists
Lowry led all players with 11 assists for Team Stephen.
Karl-Anthony Towns Records a Double-Double
Towns scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in his first NBA All-Star appearance.
Los Angeles Hosts the All-Star Game
Los Angeles hosted the NBA All-Star Game for the sixth time. Staples Center had previously hosted the event in 2004 and 2011.
2018 NBA All-Star Weekend Results
| Event | Winner / Result |
|---|
| NBA All-Star Game | Team LeBron 148, Team Stephen 145 |
| NBA All-Star Game MVP | LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Slam Dunk Contest | Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz |
| Three-Point Contest | Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns |
| Skills Challenge | Spencer Dinwiddie, Brooklyn Nets |
| Rising Stars Challenge | Team World 155, Team USA 124 |
| Rising Stars MVP | Bogdan Bogdanovic, Sacramento Kings |
2018 NBA All-Star Game FAQ
Who won the 2018 NBA All-Star Game?
Team LeBron defeated Team Stephen 148-145.
Who was the 2018 NBA All-Star Game MVP?
LeBron James won MVP honors after recording 29 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Where was the 2018 NBA All-Star Game played?
The game was played at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on February 18, 2018.
Why did the NBA change the All-Star Game format?
The NBA introduced captain-selected rosters to encourage more competitive games and create new player combinations across conferences.
Who were the 2018 NBA All-Star captains?
LeBron James and Stephen Curry were the inaugural captains.
Who led Team Stephen in scoring?
Damian Lillard and DeMar DeRozan each scored 21 points.
Who led the game in assists?
Kyle Lowry recorded 11 assists for Team Stephen.
Who coached the teams?
Dwane Casey coached Team LeBron, while Mike D'Antoni coached Team Stephen.
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