Duke basketball sees mixed results in NBA All-Star Game

Duke basketball saw a mixed bag of results at the NBA All-Star Game. 

It was a record for the Duke basketball program, which saw three former players starting in the All-Star Game, but the results were mixed.

To begin the night, Jayson Tatum made the finals of the 3-Point Shootout but unfortunately an off-round coupled with the lights out shooting of Steph Curry and Mike Conley.

Starting for Team Durant, Tatum logged just 17 minutes with 21 points on 9-of-16 from the floor and 3-of-9 from three-point range.

The Boston Celtics star added four rebounds, seven assists, and four steals to his stat line.

Kyrie Irving was also voted a starter on his Brooklyn Nets teammate’s squad and was one of the players that spent the most time on the floor with 32 minutes. He was second on his team in points with 24.

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Irving was 10-of-15 from the field and 2-of-6 from three-point range with five rebounds, 12 assists, and two steals.

Zion Williamson didn’t find out he was starting for Team Durant until Sunday morning after the removal of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons due to COVID-19 contact tracing.

Embiid was slated to start on Team Durant, and Williamson slid into the starting lineup, but the second-year player only logged 14 minutes, the third-fewest on the team.

Williamson posted 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting with one rebound as Team Durant lost to Team LeBron, 170-150.

Rookie Cassius Stanley participated in the Slam Dunk Contest at halftime of the All-Star Game but was eliminated after the first round.

Duke basketball standouts ready to return to the court

The NBA resumes action on Wednesday, March 10, but all three All-Stars will be back on the floor on Thursday, March 11.

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Jayson Tatum and Kyrie Irving will take the floor once again as the Nets host the Celtics at 7:30pm EST (TNT), and Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans host the Minnesota Timberwolves at 8:00pm EST.

Tatum and Irving are poised to reach the postseason while Williamson will have work to do in the second half of the season.