Stephen Curry and Jayson Tatum scored 27 points together as Shaquille O’Neal’s “Team Shaq’s OGs” crushed the N.B.A. All-Star Game, beating Charles Barkley’s “Team Chuck’s Global Stars,” 41-25, on Sunday in San Francisco, MySportDab Reports.
Curry dazzled from long range, true to form, while playing at the Chase Center in San Francisco, as he led a stacked team that included Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, and James Harden.
Tatum finished with 15 points to help seal an easy victory despite Phil’s late scratch of LeBron James with a foot and ankle ailment.
Curry’s superb showing won him the All-Star Game MVP, the second time he has taken home the honor after winning it in 2022.
“It’s a celebration of a litany of great things — playing with these guys for as long as we have,” Curry said. “It’s our job to put on a show.”
The NBA’s new format for its four-team mini-tournament upends the longstanding East vs. West format. The teams, coached by O’Neal, Barkley, Kenny Smith and Candace Parker, played to a first-to-40 points target instead of the standard four-quarter format.
The new format was designed to improve competitiveness, but it was criticized by players and fans.
Curry’s Golden State teammate Draymond Green also criticized the changes — working as a TV analyst — saying, “You work all year to be an All-Star, and then you play up to 40 and you’re done. This sucks. It ain’t basketball.”
“But it started with the fact that we switched it up a little bit tonight — I feel like it was a little more competitive than the years past.” The objective was to add entertainment and added intensity, and I think we succeeded at that.’
The question of the NBA All-Star Game’s competitiveness persists, but for Curry and Team Shaq, the evening concluded in celebration.
