The NBA All-Star Game's new format brought in a little something different from each player taking part in the game. Kemba Walker of the Boston Celtics was no exception, as the starting point guard for Team Giannis admittedly played through a minutes restriction in order to snag the win.
Walker; who played 29 minutes and the entire fourth quarter, did not see that coming:
“I didn’t know what to expect,” said Walker, according to John Karalis of MassLive.com. “That’s what everybody wants to see. They want to see a competitive game. That’s what it was in the fourth.”
Team Giannis hunkered down in the fourth quarter, making use of a veteran backcourt of Walker and Kyle Lowry to make plays down the stretch. Their nine-point lead soon turned to ash as Team LeBron kept chopping away at it, eventually taking control late in the fourth and forcing Walker and his fellow NBA stars on Team Giannis to futilely attempt to get to the target score of 157.
Walker wasn't expecting to play in the fourth quarter, and he made a startling revelation about his minutes:
“I wasn’t expecting it at all,” said Walker. “I was actually supposed to be on a minute restriction, but the game got too close. I wanted to be out there. I wanted to compete. I knew down the stretch that it would get serious like that, and I wanted to be a part of it.”
Other starters like Trae Young played only 16 minutes, but Walker was determined to walk out with bragging rights. However, Team Giannis wound up losing a close affair after Team LeBron's Anthony Davis free throw sealed the deal in a 157-155 showdown that was an awesome look for the NBA.
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