SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz’s two representatives acquitted themselves well enough in their first career NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night, although their side came up just short as Team LeBron beat Team Giannis in dramatic fashion, 157-155.
The “Elam Ending” was instituted for the game, and the target score was 157, which Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis reached for Team LeBron on a free throw. It was an anticlimactic finish for what was a dramatic fourth quarter.
Jazz center Rudy Gobert was tremendous for Team Giannis, as he finished with 21 points on 10-of-11 shooting, 11 rebounds, two assists and a block in 19 minutes. His Jazz teammate, Donovan Mitchell, scored seven points with five rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block in 14 minutes.
Both players were named as reserves for the game, and they first checked into the contest together at the 5:52 mark of the first quarter. Mitchell was the first to score, making a 3-pointer less than two minutes into his time on the floor.
From there, though, Gobert had the more successful night, and even put himself in the conversation for game MVP honors thanks to tremendous play in the second and third quarters. After finishing the first frame with six points, four rebounds and an assist, he added three points, five rebounds, a block and an assist in the second.
Then in just over six minutes of play during the third quarter, the Frenchman scored 12 points on six dunks, including one with 2.2 seconds left, which meant the teams tied the frame with 41 points apiece (they were playing quarter-by-quarter for charity).
When the intensity ramped up in the fourth quarter, fans were hoping Team Giannis coach Nick Nurse (Toronto Raptors head coach) would put Gobert back in the game to help his team’s chances on defense, but he made just one substitution the entire quarter.
As for Mitchell, after his 3-pointer, he went scoreless in the second quarter then made two buckets in the third before checking out for good at the 3:36 mark. He finished the night 3-of-10 from the field.
LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard won the game’s MVP award, which this week was named in honor of the late Kobe Bryant. Leonard finished with a game-high 30 points with seven rebounds, four assists and two steals in 20 minutes.