NBA Game Notes (Feb. 18, 2024)

Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on February 18, 2024.

Three Stars

The three stars in ice hockey are the three best players in a game, with the “first star” considered the best of the three players, similar to the player of the match in other sports. Here are my “three stars” from yesterday’s NBA games.

First ⭐️

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 50 points in just 28 minutes played, but the Western Conference fell to the Eastern Conference 211-186 in the 2024 NBA All-Star Game. Towns became the fourth player to score at least 50 points in an NBA All-Star Game, all coming in the last eight contests:

• 55 — Jayson Tatum (2023)

• 52 — Anthony Davis (2017)

• 50 — Stephen Curry (2022)

• 50 — Karl-Anthony Towns (2024)

Towns made 23 of his 35 shots from the floor, the second-most field goals made and attempted in an NBA All-Star Game. He also tied Anthony Davis for the team lead with eight rebounds.

Second ⭐️

Damian Lillard led the Eastern Conference with 39 points on 14-26 shooting from the field, sinking 11 of his 23 attempts from 3-point range. He also dished out six assists and did not commit a turnover in 28 minutes of action. Lillard became the first player in NBA history to win both the 3-Point Contest and the All-Star Game MVP Award in the same weekend.

Third ⭐️

Tyrese Haliburton, Lillard’s partner in the Eastern Conference’s starting backcourt, scored 32 points to go with seven rebounds and six assists. He went 11-15 from the floor, including a 10-14 performance from 3-point range. Lillard and Haliburton became just the third and fourth players to make 10 or more 3-pointers in an NBA All-Star Game, joining Stephen Curry (16, 2022) and Jayson Tatum (10, 2023).