Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone took charge of Team LeBron for the NBA’s 72nd All-Star Game this past Sunday and was pretty straightforward in his assessment thereafter.
While Mac McClung is credited with saving the Slam Dunk Contest with an incredible outing on Saturday night, the weekend’s main event is what needs saving now. The game seemed to be heading in the right direction after the format was changed in 2020, but it took a huge step back on Sunday and was a snoozefest from start to finish as Team Giannis won 184-175.
No one really expected the game to be competitive during the first three quarters, yet the fourth quarter ended up being more of the same, despite Team LeBron making an attempt to come back from a 19-point deficit. What made it even worse was the fact that LeBron and Giannis were not even around during the fourth quarter.
The Bucks star started the game but was pulled out seconds later as he started All-Star Weekend injured, while LBJ suffered a hand injury in the first half and did not return for the second.
Malone was brutally honest with reporters after the loss.
“It’s an honor to be here. It’s an honor to be a part of a great weekend, great players. But that is the worst basketball game ever played,” he said. “I don’t know if you can fix it. I give Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving — those guys were like, competing. Joel was imploring some of the guys to play harder, to try to get some defense in. No one got hurt, they put on a show for the fans, but that is a tough game to sit through. I’m not gonna lie.”
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Fortunately for Malone, he can put the game behind him and focus on his own team’s push for an NBA title, with the Denver Nuggets leading the Western Conference by a five-game gap as teams prepare for the second half of the season.
