The 2021 All-Star Game was originally to be held in Indianapolis, but with the entire 2021 NCAA Tournament being held in or in the vicinity of that city due to COVID, the NBA shifted the All-Star Game to Atlanta. More than a few stars have griped about playing in the game for virus reasons, having to leave their families in the middle of a condensed season, etc., but no stars have pulled out for non-injury reasons as of this writing.

NBA All-Star Game: Point Spread and Betting Analysis

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers from the Western Conference and Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets from the Eastern Conference were the leading vote-getters in their conference and thus are team captains – although Durant is hurt and won’t play. They picked their teams Thursday, first from the starters’ pool as chosen by fan votes and then from the reserves pool.

The All-Star coaches are the Philadelphia 76ers’ Doc Rivers for Team Durant and the Utah Jazz’s Quin Snyder for Team LeBron – the coaches are chosen by which team has the best overall record in each conference by a certain deadline. It’s the third time Rivers will coach in the game as he did in 2008 & 2011 while with the Boston Celtics. It’s Snyder’s first time.

There are no Raptors in the All-Star Game, ending a seven-season streak of at least one Toronto player in it. Two Raptors went each of the past five years. Team LeBron opened as a 2.5-point favourite with a massive total of 308.5 points on the NBA odds.

All-Star Game Format

The All-Star Game has been in a player-captain format instead of East vs. West since 2018 and Team LeBron is 3-0. It’s the 11^th start in an All-Star Game for James, who was very vocal about his desire not to have the game this year, and 17^th overall All-Star appearance. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (19) and Kobe Bryant (18) have more All-Star selections than James.

Speaking of the late Kobe, the NBA tried something called the “Elam Ending” in the 2020 All-Star Game to honour Bryant after he was killed in a Los Angeles helicopter accident in February of last year. Teams play the first three quarters as usual – there are winning quarters for charity, but it doesn’t affect the overall game.

After three quarters, 24 points (24 was Kobe’s final jersey number as a Laker) is added to the leading team’s point total and the first team to that total in the untimed fourth quarter is the winner.

Last year, Team Giannis Antetokounmpo led Team LeBron 133-124 through three quarters. Thus, the final winning score was set at 157 in the fourth quarter. The first team to get there wins. Obviously, Team Giannis needed only 24 points to win and Team LeBron 33 – but Team LeBron got to 157 first, outscoring Team Giannis 33-22 in the fourth.

It truly makes for a much more exciting finish and the players loved it last year; for example, there are no fouls clogging up the final two minutes as in many regular-season games where trailing teams purposefully send opponents to the free-throw line to stop the clock.

Indiana’s Domantas Sabonis has replaced Durant in the game, but Boston’s Jayson Tatum replaced Durant in the starters’ pool. The Lakers’ Anthony Davis will also miss it due to injury, and he was replaced by the Suns’ Devin Booker.

As the leading overall vote-getter, LeBron got to pick first in Thursday’s draft and took Giannis, while Durant took Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving with his top pick. Team LeBron also has Steph Curry, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Damian Lillard. That’s crazy strong. Team Durant has Joel Embiid, Kawhi Leonard, NBA scoring leader Bradley Beal, triple-double machine James Harden and rising superstar Zion Williamson.

NBA All-Star: Who Will Win Team LeBron vs. Team Durant?

Injuries

Team LeBron

Chris Paul (PG)

Prob Sat Hand - 16 / 07 / 21

Giannis Antetokounmpo (SF)

Prob Thurs Knee - 08 / 07 / 21

Chris Paul (PG)

Prob Tues Hand - 04 / 07 / 21

Giannis Antetokounmpo (SF)

Ques Tues Calf - 29 / 06 / 21

Chris Paul (PG)

Prob Thurs Illness - 16 / 06 / 21

Luka Doncic (SG)

Prob Sun Neck - 05 / 06 / 21

Chris Paul (PG)

Prob Tues Shoulder - 31 / 05 / 21

Anthony Davis (PF)

Ques Thurs Groin - 30 / 05 / 21

Luka Doncic (SG)

Prob Sun Back - 29 / 05 / 21

Chris Paul (PG)

Ques Sun Shoulder - 29 / 05 / 21

Team Durant

Devin Booker (SG)

Ques Thurs Head - 23 / 06 / 21

Joel Embiid (C)

Ques Sun Knee - 19 / 06 / 21

Joel Embiid (C)

Ques Fri Knee - 17 / 06 / 21

Donovan Mitchell (SG)

Ques Fri Ankle - 17 / 06 / 21

James Harden (SG)

Prob Thurs Hamstring - 16 / 06 / 21

Joel Embiid (C)

Prob Wed Knee - 15 / 06 / 21

Kawhi Leonard (SF)

Out indefinitely Knee - 15 / 06 / 21

Joel Embiid (C)

Ques Mon Knee - 13 / 06 / 21

Kyrie Irving (PG)

Late June Ankle - 13 / 06 / 21

Donovan Mitchell (SG)

Prob Mon Ankle - 13 / 06 / 21

Injuries

Team LeBron

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Chris Paul (PG)	Prob Sat	Hand - 16 / 07 / 21	-	-	+ -
Paul is expected to take the court in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Bucks despite partially torn ligaments in his right hand.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (SF)	Prob Thurs	Knee - 08 / 07 / 21	-	-	+ -
Antetokounmpo is hindered by a hyperextended left knee, but it is anticipated that he will be available for Game 2 of the NBA Finals versus the Suns.
Chris Paul (PG)	Prob Tues	Hand - 04 / 07 / 21	-	-	+ -
Paul is expected to take the court in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Bucks despite partially torn ligaments in his right hand.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (SF)	Ques Tues	Calf - 29 / 06 / 21	-	-	+ -
Antetokounmpo is hindered by a hyperextended left knee, and it is undetermined if he will be available for Game 1 of the NBA Finals versus the Suns.
Chris Paul (PG)	Prob Thurs	Illness - 16 / 06 / 21	-	-	+ -
Paul is going through the NBA's health and safety protocols after testing positive for COVID-19, but it is anticipated that he will return to the court against the Clippers for Game 3 of the Western Conference finals.
Luka Doncic (SG)	Prob Sun	Neck - 05 / 06 / 21	-	-	+ -
Doncic is battling a cervical strain, but it is expected that he will dress for Game 7 of the Western Conference first round against the Clippers.
Chris Paul (PG)	Prob Tues	Shoulder - 31 / 05 / 21	-	-	+ -
Paul has suffered a right shoulder contusion, but he is expected to take the court for Game 5 of the Western Conference first round against the Lakers.
Anthony Davis (PF)	Ques Thurs	Groin - 30 / 05 / 21	-	-	+ -
Davis is hampered by a left groin strain, and it is unknown if he will play against the Suns for Game 6 of the Western Conference first round.
Luka Doncic (SG)	Prob Sun	Back - 29 / 05 / 21	-	-	+ -
Doncic is battling a cervical strain, but it is expected that he will dress for Game 4 of the Western Conference first round against the Clippers.
Chris Paul (PG)	Ques Sun	Shoulder - 29 / 05 / 21	-	-	+ -
Paul is dealing with a right shoulder injury, and it is uncertain if he will take the court for Game 4 of the Western Conference first round against the Lakers.

Team Durant

player (position)	status		ats*current	o/u*	notes
Devin Booker (SG)	Ques Thurs	Head - 23 / 06 / 21	-	-	+ -
Booker is managing a head injury, and it is unclear if he will be available for Game 3 of the Western Conference finals versus the Clippers.
Joel Embiid (C)	Ques Sun	Knee - 19 / 06 / 21	-	-	+ -
Embiid is nursing a knee injury, and it is unclear if he will be available for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference second round versus the Hawks.
Joel Embiid (C)	Ques Fri	Knee - 17 / 06 / 21	-	-	+ -
Embiid is battling a small meniscus tear in his left knee, and it remains to be seen if he will be in the lineup for Game 6 of the Eastern semifinals against the Hawks.
Donovan Mitchell (SG)	Ques Fri	Ankle - 17 / 06 / 21	-	-	+ -
Mitchell is dealing with an ankle injury, and it is unknown if he will be active versus the Clippers for Game 6 of the Western Conference second round.
James Harden (SG)	Prob Thurs	Hamstring - 16 / 06 / 21	-	-	+ -
Harden is dealing with right hamstring tightness, but it is expected that he will take the court against the Bucks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference second round.
Joel Embiid (C)	Prob Wed	Knee - 15 / 06 / 21	-	-	+ -
Embiid has a small tear in his right meniscus, but it is anticipated that he will dress for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference second round against the Hawks.
Kawhi Leonard (SF)	Out indefinitely	Knee - 15 / 06 / 21	-	-	+ -
Leonard is out of commission with a right knee sprain, and a timetable for recovery has yet to be established.
Joel Embiid (C)	Ques Mon	Knee - 13 / 06 / 21	-	-	+ -
Embiid has a small tear in his right meniscus, leaving it unclear if he will dress for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference second round against the Hawks.
Kyrie Irving (PG)	Late June	Ankle - 13 / 06 / 21	-	-	+ -
Irving is sidelined with a right ankle sprain, and he is not expected to return to the court until the end of June.
Donovan Mitchell (SG)	Prob Mon	Ankle - 13 / 06 / 21	-	-	+ -
MItchell is expected to take on the Clippers in Game 4 of the Western Conference second round despite a right ankle injury.