The Western Conference scored 186 points in Sunday's NBA All-Star Game—and lost by a mile. The winning Eastern Conference put up 211 points, marking the first time a team has cracked the 200-point threshold in league history, notes CNN. The problem for the league is that few people are celebrating the feat:
- It was a "forgettable blowout," writes Ben Golliver at the Washington Post. After last year's 184-175 game, which proved to be a ratings bust, the league had been aiming for a more competitive game this year. Big fail.
- Note the tone of NBA commissioner Adam Silver on court after the game in this video clip: "To the Eastern Conference All-Stars: You scored the most points. Well. (Long pause.) Congratulations."
- At CBS Sports, Brad Botkin writes: "If it wasn't my job to watch that game, I would've changed the channel within five minutes. I can't imagine I'm alone in that sentiment." Given that players understandably don't want to get hurt in a meaningless exhibition, he's not sure the format is fixable.