Aldridge Sizzles, Lillard Fizzles in All-Star Game

LaMarcus Aldridge played like it was a normal game, while Damian Lillard was glad it was not a normal game.

Aldridge had 18 points, Lillard had 11 on 4-of-12 shooting, and in a game that combined for 321 points, 39 turnovers, 6 fouls, and 0 defense, the Western Conference All-Stars defeated the Eastern Conference All-Stars 163-158 Sunday night at Madison Square Garden.

Aldridge, starting for the injured Anthony Davis, had quite a first quarter for the Western Conference All-Stars.  He put back a Stephen Curry miss, hit a three from the top of the circle off a pass from "Floppy Beard" James Harden, then drilled a three in the corner off a pass from Stephen Curry after LeBron James whiffed an open tomahawk jam.  While his shooting was just fine, he recorded the fewest rebounds of any Western player in the first half, grabbing just one in 10 minutes of play.  He played just two minutes in the second quarter, hitting his signature 18-foot shot.

Lillard had a first half to forget. He subbed in at the four minute mark of the first quarter, missed a shot in the corner, then missed a put back dunk after a Russell Westbrook miss. He committed a turnover at the 1:49 mark, missed a shot with 32 second remaining, and started the second quarter with two straight turnovers.  He would finish the half with 10 minutes played, 2-of-8 shooting for five points, and three turnovers versus just one assist.

The West overall was led by Russell Westbrook, who set an All-Star game record with 27 points in the first half.  Harden had 15, and Curry had 10 to pair with Aldridge's 10.  The East got 22 from James, 12 from Kyle Korver, and 11 from John Wall.

Aldridge went straight to work in the second half, scoring the first eight points for the Western team in the quarter.  He would cool off with two misses, the latter a failed alley-oop from Curry.  His only wrinkle came at the 6:22 mark of the quarter, where he attempted a long in-bounds pass, only to have it slip from his finger onto the baseline for a turnover.  He returned to the game with five minutes remaining, but did not score.

Lillard did not play in the third quarter, but hit two threes in the fourth quarter to keep the Western Conference in the game.  He subbed out with five minutes to play.

Westbrook led all scorers with 41 points in the game, Harden had 26, and Curry had 14.  James led the East with 30, Korver had 21, John Wall had 19.  Westbrook was named the game's MVP.