The 6 Best Shots from the 2020 NBA All-Star Game

An All-Star game that was actually good? Believe it.

The best of the basketballing best assembled in Chicago this weekend to shoot some friendly hoops, continuing the decades-long tradition of the NBA All-Star weekend.

But this year, in an effort to increase competition, the NBA changed up the rules, allowing teams drafted by LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo to win money for charity by playing a series of mini-games within the All-Star Game. Basically, the winner of each quarter collected money for the charity for their choice, with Team LeBron raising $400,000 for the Chicago Scholars, and Team Giannis raising $100,000 for After School Matters. It was all in good fun.

The final quarter, however, was something else.

With the teams eventually racing to a target score of 157 (a combination of the highest score at the end of the third quarter plus 24 in honour of the late Kobe Bryant), the competitiveness kicked up a notch. It resulted in one of the best chunks of basketball—we shouldn’t call it a quarter, because the clock was turned off and it seemed to go on forever—we’ve seen in years. Happily, all the players bought in as well, bringing playoff intensity to a match that has historically been treated like a joke. In honour of their efforts, let’s give some love back, with our ranking of the game’s six best shots.

6. Chris Paul

Chris Paul—who before the season began appeared doomed and adrift on an ice floe in OKC, but roared back for his 10th All-Star appearance—hadn’t made a dunk since December 2015 (and, yeah, even that wasn’t super impressive). That means Ben Simmons has made more successful three-point shots than Paul has dunked over the last four years. Until last night, that is. The game was a true triumph for Paul (who suggested the new All-Star format too), making a great case for his new all-plant diet.

5. Rudy Gobert

Shot: Trae Young feeding Rudy Gobert for the reverse dunk.

Chaser: Iconic Duo Queen Latifah and Jon Stewart bristling at the beauty of it all.

4. Trae Young

Look, the All-Star game is a novelty, so novelty shots should be taken non-stop. And though Young, a starter for Team Giannis, was kept off the court in the final deathless quarter, he left his impression with a buzzer-beating halfcourt shot that, if you look closely, actually kills Pascal Siakam.

3. Kyle Lowry

KYLE LOWRY... CLUTCH CHARGE. WHAT A GAME pic.twitter.com/rZOpRqqhgz

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 17, 2020

It’s not James Harden’s uncounted, coulda-been-a-game-winning stepback three we’re admiring, but human shock absorber Kyle Lowry taking a shot to the heart. Lowry wasn’t the only player to bring defence back to the All-Star game, but no one else took it like a champ quite so often.

2. Ben Simmons

What a sequence

Jayson Tatum to Chris Paul, CP3 to Russ, Russ to Ben Simmons for the slam🔥 pic.twitter.com/7yb6H55hoD

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 17, 2020

There were almost too many dunks to choose from Aussie wonder Ben Simmons (we particularly loved Jayson Tatum’s behind-the-head dime to Simmons). But nothing encapsulated this All-Star game better than this share-the-love play from Team LeBron, where Russell Westbrook lobs it to Chris Paul… who lobs it to a Simmons. *Chef’s Kiss*

1. Fun Guy

Quite simply, there was no better shot last night in Chicago than this screen-capture of notorious Fun Guy Kawhi Leonard mimicking a human smile while collecting his Kobe Bryant MVP Trophy. (Photos can technically be 'shots' too, y'know.) Leonard, a legendary load manager, actually tried pretty hard at this exhibition match, nearly breaking an All-Star record for made-three and playing the entire last quarter. No wonder he’s… happy?

Runner Up: The camera-person who got up-close and person with Pascal.

I will frame this.

Header Image: Lampson Yip - Clicks Images via Getty Images North America