There’s no question that Sunday night’s All-Star Game had one of the most competitive battles in recent ASG memory. In Team LeBron’s 148-145 win over Team Stephen, the offense was fast-paced and explosive as always, but much to the delight of the fans, playoff-like defense was also on display, particularly in the fourth quarter.
It’s part of the reason why certain joy and frustration — for once — were shown after the thrilling finish. It’s also the reason why Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan, who was on the losing side, had this fun exchange with the reporter in the post-game interviews:
Reporter: I think you had a good chance of winning MVP if you guys won. How does that feel?
DeRozan: You just want to break my heart some more, huh?
Reporter: Sorry, man.
DeRozan: I mean, hey. Just being out there was a blessing, honestly.
The Raptors star played crucial minutes in the final frame. Aside from taking a loss and missing out on the MVP plum, the “heartbreak” he was saying may be a reference to the three key frustrating plays he was on. He went 1-for-2 at the foul line while the game was tied at 144, he then threw an errand kick-out pass with only 16 seconds left to give the ball back to Team LeBron, who was leading by one, and was also trapped in the last play of the game, wherein he failed to hoist a shot as time expired.
DeRozan tied a team-high 21 points to go along six rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
The 28-year-old is averaging 23.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.2 assists during 2017-18 NBA season.
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