Anthony Davis quiet but 2018 NBA All-Star game a gigantic hit with new format

The 2018 All-Star game was, dare I say, a highly entertaining watch, with the final five minutes or so an absolute delight!

Team LeBron edged out Team Stephen by a 148-145 margin, and LeBron James, the best player in the league, walked away with the Most Valuable Player honors after posting a line of 29 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and four three-pointers. Damian Lillard and DeMar DeRozan led Team Steph with 21 points apiece.

If you’ve caught any of the last few editions, you’re fully aware that today’s contest represented a gigantic departure from the latest norm. The last three games were about as gripping as watching the guy who is watching paint dry. Seriously, they were that boring, but fortunately, the league decided to implement some changes. Whether it was the fact that $100K was going to the winners, LeBron and Steph handpicked the teams or something else, one didn’t feel the need to change the channel at any time during tonight’s matchup. That’s the way it should be when it comes to the league’s brightest stars, so thank you for getting it right, NBA.

As for our hometown favorite, Anthony Davis drew the start on Team LeBron but tallied only 12 points and two rebounds. He appeared in just 17 minutes and played the lowest number of minutes among all the starters. As long as he’s not hiding some injury, that’s fine by me — 25 games remain and the New Orleans Pelicans are going to need every ounce of his strength, energy and stamina as they attempt to claw their way into the postseason.

The biggest impact made by last season’s MVP was not through his basketball skills but his attire. During his first stint on the floor, Davis wore DeMarcus Cousins jersey as a tribute to his fallen teammate.

DeMarcus Cousins, of course, missed the glorified exhibition due to a torn Achilles he suffered late last month and the injury is expected to keep him out of action until at least the start of next season.

Despite his apparent displeasure of not being able to participate, Cousins humor remains intact and was very evident in the locker room just minutes before tip-off.

“If you score fifty and win MVP, that’s mine.”

Long live Boogie in a Pels uniform!

As for the explanation to the media on why he decided to wear Boogie’s uniform, Davis gave a great response.

Now, it’s back to the regular season — which includes a grueling stretch of three games in three days and seven games in ten days. When asked, Davis admitted the difficulty of the balancing act ahead of the Pelicans attempting to get into the playoffs versus managing excessive fatigue.