The East and West NBA All-Star teams produced the highest-scoring game in league history, delivering an explosive offensive performance with 67 3-pointers scored.

The NBA All-Star 2024 event series puts a spotlight on long throw competitions, drawing attention with the showdown between Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu, along with the highly anticipated 3-Point Contest.

Damian Lillard successfully defends his championship title in the latter.

Expectations were high for a traditional basketball competition at the annual NBA All-Star game. However, the 73rd edition in league history took an unexpected turn, evolving into a long-throwing contest between the East and the West.

The two teams took turns attacking without facing any defensive pressure, resulting in the highest total score in NBA history: a 211-186 victory for the Eastern All-Star team.

This match saw a series of records shattered, including the first instance of a team reaching the 200-point mark. The previous record of 196 points, achieved by the 2016 West All-Star team, was surpassed by the 2024 East All-Star team.

Throughout the game, both teams combined to attempt a total of 67 3-pointers, setting a new NBA All-Star record. This figure eclipsed the previous milestone of 62 attempted 3-pointers set in 2019.

After several years of experimenting with the region-mixing model, the 2024 NBA All-Star match returned to the traditional format, with the East facing the West.

Playing at home, young defender Tyrese Haliburton got off to a scorching start with five consecutive successful long throws. This scoring spree propelled the Eastern team into the lead in the first half, a position they never relinquished.

On the opposing end, the Western All-Star team made valiant efforts to close the gap on two occasions. However, their strategy of completely abandoning defense and continually turning the ball over to the opponent prevented them from securing a victory, despite Karl-Anthony Towns’ impressive 50-point performance.

Despite an outstanding performance by Tyrese Haliburton, who scored 32 points with 6 assists and made 10 3-pointers, he was unable to clinch the title of the best player, even though he played on his home court.

Instead, the coveted NBA All-Star Game MVP title went to Damian Lillard. Fresh off his victory in the 3-Point Contest the previous day, Lillard continued his exceptional display in the All-Star match, sinking an impressive 11 3-pointers, dishing out 6 assists, and tallying 39 points in just 28 minutes of play.

Not only did Lillard lead the winning team in scoring, but he also wowed fans with two successful 3-pointers from the midfield line, leaving spectators on the edge of their seats.

On the Western All-Star side, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played a pivotal supporting role alongside Karl-Anthony Towns’ remarkable performance of 50 points and 8 rebounds. Shai contributed 31 points, 6 assists, and drained 7 successful 3-pointers.

Despite being the captain, LeBron James had limited involvement in the match. He, along with Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Anthony Edwards, each played for less than 15 minutes, citing suboptimal physical condition as the reason for their reduced playing time.