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After the dunking highs of Saturday night (and they were impossibly high), tonight's All-Star Game is ostensibly the reason for the entire weekend. It's been a real treat for the city so far, with events happening across multiple venues, and parties happening in even more spots all over the place. Tonight, the best players of the NBA take the court to face off in the customary East vs. West battle.
For Toronto, the reason to get excited is obvious: both Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan of the hometown Raptors will take the court in this evening's contest. Lowry is in as a starter, while DeRozan was named to the squad as a reserve. It's not outlandish to suggest that they will share the court at some point in the game. The crowd will be up for that inevitable moment.
Last night, over some drinks, we were trying to decide on some prop bets and predictions for tonight's game. Since the outcome doesn't matter, it's the least we can do to give it some stakes. (Someone asked Gregg Popovich if the All-Star Game should determine home court advantage in the Finals, a la MLB policy. I'm surprised the reporter survived the encounter.)
So, let's get to it:
Prediction Questions
- Who scores the game's first basket?
- Leading scorer in the game?
- Leading rebounder?
- Game MVP?
- Which team is winning?
- Who will have the most impressive dunk in the game?
Score Lines
- First quarter total points line: 78.5
- Halftime total points line: 165.5
- Third quarter total points line: 210.5
- Final score total points line: 300.5
My Predictions
Game MVP: Lowry - Going with the homer pick. Let's do it.
Final Score: East 155, West 147
What other lines, bets, predictions or random thoughts do you guys have? Let's hear them in the comments.