Damian Lillard wanted to do something special in his eighth NBA All-Star Game.
His pull-up three-pointer from half court delivered a dazzling highlight. That he was named the game's MVP for the first time provided a perfect finish.
Lillard scored 39 points and hit 11 three-pointers to lead the Eastern Conference to a record-setting 211-186 win over the Western Conference in Indianapolis.
"It's an honor," said Lillard, who won the three-point shooting contest a night earlier. "I've been here quite a few times, so to have this kind of accomplishment is special."
The Eastern Conference shattered the record for most points by a team in an All-Star Game. The previous mark was 196 points, achieved by the late great Kobe Bryant and the Western Conference in 2016.
Jaylen Brown added 36 points on 15-of-23 shooting for the Eastern Conference, while Tyrese Haliburton finished with 32 on 11-of-15 shooting.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Western Conference with 50 points on 23-of-35 shooting. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 points on 12-of-16 shooting.
The game was dominated by three-pointers and dunks, with little effort on defense.
LeBron James played a record 20th All-Star Game, finishing with eight points.
