Somebody forgot to tell Stephen Curry that the three-point shooting contest was the previous night as the Golden State Warriors superstar put on a shooting clinic to lead Team LeBron to victory in the NBA All-Star Game.
LeBron James sank the game-winning basket as his side edged Team Durant 163-160, giving James his fifth straight All-Star win as team captain.
But Curry was the brightest shooting star, winning the MVP award with a 50-point performance that included a record 16 three-pointers in front of a crowd of 19,400 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.
He finished just two shy of Anthony Davis' single-game scoring record of 52 points but shattered Paul George's record of nine three-pointers in 2016.
"I tried, I tried," said Curry of flirting with the single-game scoring record.
"When I get going the energy picks up. It is pretty special being back in Ohio."
The game was preceded by the three-point shooting contest a night earlier, a competition Curry won in 2021. Karl-Anthony Towns was this year's winner as Curry did not enter.
Ohio-born James nailed the winning shot with a fadeaway jumper.
The 37-year-old James was playing in his 18th All-Star Game, which ties him with the late Kobe Bryant and leaves him one short of the record held by Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
James was one of two captains, the other being Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, who did not attend the game due to the death of his grandmother.
Monty Williams of the Phoenix Suns coached Team LeBron while Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat coached Team Durant.
Memphis Grizzlies rising star Ja Morant scored six points and was one of seven players making their All-Star debut.
The other first-time All-Stars were the Charlotte Hornets' LaMelo Ball, the Cleveland Cavaliers duo of Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland, Golden State's Andrew Wiggins, San Antonio Spurs' Dejounte Murray and Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors.
During half-time, the league honored the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team, with players from every decade of the league's existence in attendance.
Steph Curry goes for a shot against Trae Young. REUTERS
LeBron James dunks. REUTERS
