Should Tyrese Haliburton have been all-star MVP over Damian Lillard? Plus, other all-star nuggets
Boos rained down on Damian Lillard as he hoisted the all-star game MVP trophy Sunday night in Indianapolis, with an Indiana Pacers-friendly fan base preferring to see their guy with the hardware.
Lillard scored 39 points to cap a sensational weekend, adding to his trophy case after repeating as champion in the three-point competition Saturday. But should the award have gone instead to Oshkosh native and Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, who scored fewer points but did so with elite efficiency?
Gregg Doyel of the Indy Star opined that Haliburton was robbed of the honor. The fast-rising point guard finished with 32 points on 11-of-15 shooting, 10-of-14 from three-point range, plus seven rebounds and six assists.
Lillard by comparison finished with 39 points and also had six assists but needed 26 shots to do it, going 14-of-26 and 11-of-23 from three-point range.
In a tale of the tape, Lillard had four fewer rebounds than Haliburton but also no turnovers to Haliburton's three, if such box-score gazing matters in a format like this one. Lillard played one more minute and was plus-13, while Haliburton was plus-16. Lillard did, of course, hit two baskets from half-court.
Doyel argued that the nature of the all-star game, with defense barely an afterthought, enabled someone like Lillard to just keep racking up points with volume shooting. The Eastern Conference won the game, 211-186, obliterating the previous all-star record for points and becoming the first to clear 200.
"This was his night to win MVP, and not just because he plays for the hometown Indiana Pacers, but let’s start there," Doyel said of Haliburton. "He does play for the Pacers, this game was held in Downtown Indianapolis, and it’s one of those unwritten rules of the NBA: Give the local guy a shot at the MVP. Now, don’t be silly: He has to be deserving. He has to get hot. But give him a shot."
Doyel continued, "The guy’s just too unselfish, too nice, too good. He was playing this game like it was a real game, on offense anyway, passing the ball ahead and throwing it behind his back to Giannis Antetokounmpo for a dunk and throwing a double-clutch, no-look pass to Lillard for a 3-pointer. Haliburton had the ball in his hands a lot, and he passed it a lot."
Haliburton hit his first five three-point baskets to get the scoring started for the East.
It should be noted, though, that Haliburton was his team's third leading scorer; Boston's Jaylen Brown had 36 points with eight boards on 15-of-23 shooting off the bench. And though the MVP doesn't traditionally go to a player on the losing team, Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns had a cool 50 points on 23-of-35 shooting for the West.
It's bound to be one more detail in the budding rivalry between the Pacers and Bucks, which included a testy In-Season Tournament semifinal battle where Haliburton borrowed Lillard's "Dame Time" gesture.
"I didn't mind it. It was what it was," Lillard said afterward. "I've also known that, you know, when you are having your moment, it's important to be careful, to be humble in your moments because you just never know how the tables are going to turn or when they are going to turn.
"I respected it. We shook hands after the game. I wasn't moved by it left or right."
And then, of course, Antetokounmpo scored 64 points Dec. 13 to set a Bucks single-game record, though confusion as to who had taken possession of the game ball led to a kerfuffle between the two sides.
Tyrese Haliburton becomes third Wisconsinite to start an all-star game
Haliburton, in his second all-star game, became the first Wisconsin high-school alumnus to start an all-star game since Latrell Sprewell, who got the honor in 1995, edging Golden State Warriors teammate Tim Hardaway in the fan vote.
More: Tyrese Haliburton and other Wisconsinites who played in the NBA all-star game
The only other Wisconsin player to start an NBA all-star game is Don Kojis, another Milwaukee native who played for the San Diego Rockets when he scored eight points in 1969.
These players from Wisconsin teams were named all-star game MVP
Lillard adds his name to the very top of the list among Bucks performances in the all-star game, coupling his 3-point win with a game MVP.
He joins Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021 as Bucks players to win NBA all-star game MVP. Giannis hit all 16 of his shots in the showcase for the title.
More: The best performances by a Milwaukee Bucks player at the all-star game (besides Giannis winning MVP)
In Major League Baseball and the National Football League, only three other MVP winners hailed from the state of Wisconsin.
In 2011, Prince Fielder of the Brewers was named all-star game MVP after socking a three-run homer for the National League in Arizona, part of a 5-1 win.
In fact, the example has a light parallel to what happened with Lillard in Indianapolis; Fielder was booed roundly the night before because he had been appointed a "captain" for the Home Run Derby that year and invited friend and teammate Rickie Weeks to the showcase over hometown star Justin Upton of the Diamondbacks.
More: Did the Brewers finally solve their revolving door situation at first base heading into 2024?
Following the 1970 season, Green Bay Packers linebacker Fred Carr was named one of the Pro Bowl MVPs, joining Dallas Cowboys cornerback Mel Renfro in that regard. Carr had an interception in the NFC's 27-6 win over the AFC.
After the 1982 season, Packers wide receiver John Jefferson was named MVP in his team's 20-19 win over the AFC, with Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts sharing the honor. Quarterback Danny White found Jefferson for an 11-yard touchdown with 31 seconds left to tip the scales. Jefferson also made a diving catch on the pass before the touchdown, converting on fourth and 7.
Jefferson caught four passes for 66 yards, and Packers teammate James Lofton also had four catches for 44 yards in the game. Tight end Paul Coffman had another three catches for 30 yards.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Should Tyrese Haliburton have been all-star MVP over Damian Lillard?
