NEW ORLEANS — Offensive records fell faster than the approval rating of your favorite politician. If you defended, you were almost an outsider. There were so many marks set, it was tough keeping track.
“I didn’t even know,” Carmelo Anthony of the Knicks said Sunday night, regarding the record he established for the most 3-pointers in an All-Star Game, eight. “One of the kids on the bench, one of the ball boys, was telling me. I was like, ‘What record are you talking about?’ ”
Believe it, there were lots of records to consider.
For starters, there was more offense than in any other All-Star Game ever. So no one really noticed the East scoring the final 10 points of the record 318 put up by both sides in the 163-155 East victory, That total eclipsed the 303 points scored in 1987. That game back then needed overtime. This one just needed calculators.
So it became sort of a different experience for Anthony. He had a great scoring game — and his team won. When they had to defend, the East found the clamps to shut down the West. Hey, the Eastern stars can walk away holding their heads high, knowing they held the West to a mere 155 points to end a three-game East losing streak.
Oh, there was some talk of defense that finally reared its nearly unrecognizable head in the closing minutes.
“As competitors, you got to kind of take that personal,” said Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving, who with team highs of 31 points and 14 assists won the MVP award — the first Cav since LeBron James took the honor in 2008.
“Especially when coach [Indiana’s Frank Vogel] starts to get a little edgy.”
Gee, how did that happen? Could it have resulted from the Clippers’ Blake Griffin, who put on a dunking clinic all game, and the Thunder’s Kevin Durant each scoring 38 points? Or maybe it was that third quarter 18-point deficit the East faced, one Irving helped eradicate with his how-did-he-do-that-passing, his forays to the rim and overall shooting (14-of-17).
“Kyrie is special,” said James, noting that Cleveland knows “they have something special … It probably adds a cherry on top for him to receive this award, not only for the Cavs but for Duke, St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) and everywhere he’s ever played.”
Cleveland would have something extra special, ultra special and whatever comes after extra and ultra if the fantasized return of James to Cleveland ever materialized.
“Everyone is going to have their opinion or write different stories,” Irving said of the speculation. “But for me my focus level is just on my team that we have now.”
Yeah, but dreaming is nice. Sort of like Anthony, who scored 30 points, dreaming he could have this kind of support not every night, but even once in a while with the Knicks.
“It is what it is,” Anthony said. “The season has not only been stressful but there have been a lot of sleepless nights. This weekend [was] time to put it to side for a couple of days.”
And simply marvel at some spectacular stuff.
Griffin repeatedly perched above the rim and dunked his way to a challenge of the all-time All-Star single game scoring record — Wilt Chamberlain’s 42 — but both he and Durant fell four points short.
“It’s fun,” Griffin said. “This game is for the fans. To be able to do the things they want to see, they don’t want to see me shooting jump shots.”
James went against the grain on the game’s first sequence: He defended, stealing a James Harden pass and went in and dunked. It began a night that so many came to see — a one-on-one showdown with Durant.
“It’s funner for you guys than it is for me,” James said. “I focus on the team game. I’ve always played that way.”
Durant said the rivalry is nothing really personal.
“You all should really focus on how good LeBron James is and the growth I have had as a player,” Durant said. “People should appreciate that more. Just sit back and enjoy basketball.”
At the end of the first quarter, five of the game’s all-time greats, Julius Erving, Magic Johnson, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone and Hakeem Olajuwon came onto the court. Johnson led them in a chorus of “Happy Birthday” for another one of the greatest ever, Bill Russell, who turned 80 Sunday. Both teams of the current All-Stars then came to Russell courtside seat to shake his hand.
And the stars of the present were pretty obvious too. All night. Especially on the offensive side.