Anthony Davis wins All-Star Game MVP for record-breaking performance

NEW ORLEANS – One of the unwritten rules of an NBA All-Star Game is finding a way for host city’s player to win All-Star MVP.

It happened in 2011 when Kobe Bryant won in Los Angeles and in 2004 when Shaquille O’Neal won in Los Angeles. But it doesn’t happen often. Not for Dirk Nowitzki at the 2010 All-Star Game in Dallas, not for Dwight Howard at the 2012 game in Orlando and not for Kyle Lowry or DeMar DeRozan at the 2016 game in Toronto.

But it happened in New Orleans on Sunday for Pelicans forward-center Anthony Davis.

"It was amazing. That's what I wanted to do," Davis said. "I stressed that, I think more than enough, to the guys in the locker room before the game that I wanted to get the MVP for this crowd, for this city, and I ended up doing it. Those guys did a great job of just finding me, giving me the basketball. They wanted me to score 50. Every time, Kawhi (Leonard) was like six more points. Or James (Harden) was like, 'I'm going to pass you the ball.'

"The guys did a great job allowing me to do this. I want to thank all of them. This definitely means a lot to me."

Davis set a single-game All-Star scoring record with 52 point, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s 42 points at the 1962 game. He scored 10 points in the first quarter, 12 in the second, 10 in the third and 20 in the fourth, tying Glen Rice (1997) for most All-Star points in a quarter.

Davis made 26-for-39 from the field, and of his 26 buckets, 25 were made inside the restricted area at the rim, nine were dunks and he made a 21-foot jump shot to give the West a 2-0 lead.

"I'd say below the gold medals and national championships, but this is an award that I'll cherish forever," Davis said.

As the game went on and Davis' point total went up, his teammates were making sure to pass to him, giving him as many scoring opportunities as possible.

“I thought it was perfectly natural for guys to go out of their way a little bit to get him the ball,” West coach Steve Kerr said.

Davis had some competition for the award from Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, who was the All-Star MVP in 2015 and 2016. Westbrook had 41 points, seven assists and five rebounds, but he wasn’t disappointed he didn’t win a third.

"It's definitely always a great thing to do, especially here where he plays in front of his fans, his family," Westbrook said. "It's a great experience and definitely happy for him."

Quietly, Golden State's Kevin Durant had a triple-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, joining Michael Jordan (1997), LeBron James (2011), Dwyane Wade (2012) as the only players to record a triple-double in the All-Star Game.

Had the East won, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 30 points on 14-for-17 shooting, was the leading candidate for the honor.