Team Giannis stormed back to complete a 65-58 victory over Team Anthony, as Rome Flynn secured back-to-back NBA Celebrity All-Star Game MVP honors.
The Emmy-winning actor scored 17 points on 50 percent shooting, including 3 of 7 from beyond the arc, to help lead Team Giannis to the comeback win.
The first-quarter bonus featured fan-voted favorites, with Team Anderson’s Mustard and Team Giannis’ Keegan-Michael Key earning extra points on made shots. Team Anderson held a narrow 16-14 lead after one.
Both teams received a Ruffles four-point bonus in the second quarter. Team Giannis’ GloRilla rolled a seven, making any shot from behind the arc worth seven points, while Team Anthony’s Simu Liu rolled an eight, though neither team capitalized.
At halftime, Team Anderson led Team Giannis 34-26. Keenan Allen paced Team Anthony with 14 points after an energetic performance from the Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver, while Team Giannis’ Tacko Fall also scored 14.
The third-quarter “Deal of Defense” bonus penalized the leading team, Team Anthony, with a mascot double-team, as Hugo of the Charlotte Hornets and Grizz of the Memphis Grizzlies applied extra pressure. Despite the added presence, Team Anthony led 42-41 after three.
The fourth quarter introduced a “Double Time” button, doubling all made baskets when pressed. Team Edwards pressed first, but Team Giannis capitalized on the bonus. After Team Giannis had their go at the button, they pulled away, with Jeremy Lin delivering the decisive basket to push the lead to 10 with just over two minutes remaining.
All-Star Weekend resumes with the Castrol Rising Stars on Friday.