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After weeks of discussions and negotiations, between the NBA and the players’ association, the 2021 NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET on TNT. The All-Star Game was originally scheduled to be played in Indianapolis this season. But due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, the league moved it to the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA.
For this year’s edition, the team captains were LeBron James and Kevin Durant. While James will be suiting up for his 18th all-star appearance, Durant will miss the game because of an injury. Nevertheless, both Team LeBron and Team Durant are loaded with some of the best players not only in the world, but in the entire NBA.
We’ll go over some ideal picks on DraftKings Sportsbook centered around the game here.
2021 All-Star Game: Team LeBron vs. Team Durant
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET on TNT
Pick ATS: Team Durant +4
The line for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game is currently set at four points, with team LeBron favored to win it again. Between the two teams, team LeBron has the better starting lineup with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and James. It is a nice blend of athleticism, rebounding, passing and shooting.
Meanwhile, the starters for team Durant is Bradley Beal, Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, and Jayson Tatum. Despite not having Durant, they still have a bunch of certified scorers, who can create their own offense. Team Durant might not the better starting lineup but they have the advantage on the bench. KD’s bench features Zach LaVine, Mike Conley, James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Julius Randle, Nikola Vucevic and Zion Williamson.
Team LeBron’s bench has Jaylen Brown, Paul George, Rudy Gobert, Damian Lillard, Domantas Sabonis, and Ben Simmons. But as we all know, the game will come down to the starters in the fourth quarter. However, I think team Durant can keep it close and possibly win it with the offense off the bench.
Paul George O9.5 points (+105)
There isn’t no rhythm or reason for this pick, except there are only two point props at plus money. Paul George over 9.5 points is one of them and the other is Damian Lillard over 15.5 points (+100). If Lillard scores more than 15.5 points off the bench, then he’ll likely be in the running for MVP.
But George scoring at least 10 points is definitely plausible with the way that he’s been playing this season. The veteran forward can get his offense and create his shot wherever on the hardwood.
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