CHARLOTTE– Russell Westbrook had a wide-open rim in front of him. A sure layup waited just one step away. His teammate Paul George had what these days amounts to a layup too and Westbrook delivered the ball to him. On the right wing, George caught and fired, burying the no-doubt-about-it three-pointer.
Defense wasn’t exactly top priority in the 68th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, but Westbrook and George certainly helped ignite the offensive explosion for Team Giannis in this year’s competition. The game eschewed old versions of the game that pitted Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference and instead appointed captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo to make selections.