Bucks’ Damian Lillard named MVP of 2024 NBA All-Star Recreation

INDIANAPOLIS — It was Dame time all NBA All-Star Weekend lengthy.

The Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard was named the Kobe Bryant All-Star Recreation MVP on Sunday after scoring 39 factors with 11 3-pointers to steer the Japanese Convention to a 211-186 win over the West.

He joined Michael Jordan in 1988 as the one different participant in league historical past to win a Saturday evening occasion and be named MVP in the identical All-Star Weekend.

Lillard gained the 3-point contest, edging the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Cities and the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Younger within the ultimate spherical. Jordan gained the dunk contest in 1988.

“It is an honor. I have been right here fairly a couple of occasions, so to have the ability to have this sort of accomplishment, it is particular,” Lillard advised TNT in an on-court interview upon receiving the MVP award. “Anytime you might have one of these expertise sufficient, you wish to have this expertise — you wish to be All-Star Recreation MVP.”

Lillard, in his first season with the Bucks, turned the fifth participant to win All-Star Recreation MVP in his first season with a brand new group, excluding rookies.

He additionally turned the twentieth participant to win All-Star MVP whereas enjoying for his coach throughout that season; Milwaukee’s Doc Rivers coached the East group, which put up essentially the most factors within the recreation’s 73-year historical past. The earlier mark: 196 by the West in 2016.

Lillard stated the East wished the file.

“Everyone was asking what the file was,” Lillard stated. “We came upon and went after it.”

And Lillard ended it in fashion — a 44-footer to shut the scoring.

The Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant stated he was watching Lillard from the West bench whereas sitting with the LA Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard. “We have been in awe,” Durant stated.

The Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown had 36 factors for the East, whereas Tyrese Haliburton from the hometown Indiana Pacers completed with 32. Lillard’s MVP announcement was met with boos from the Indianapolis crowd, who wished to see Haliburton take dwelling the trophy.

“I used to be simply going to maintain capturing till I missed … simply having enjoyable, enjoying basketball,” Haliburton stated. “I did not know what number of minutes I used to be going to play, did not know the way my leg would really feel, however I felt good at this time, even after the one-legged dunk, in order that’s optimistic for me.

“It wasn’t excessive depth in any respect, nevertheless it feels good that I felt good and hopefully I can proceed that shifting ahead.”

Cities scored 50 factors for the West in simply 28 minutes. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder scored 31 factors for the West.

ESPN Stats & Data and The Related Press contributed to this report.