The Latest: D-League stars have their moment on big stage
NEW ORLEANS (AP) The Latest on Saturday’s NBA All-Star events (all times local):
Behind an MVP performance by Quinn Cook the East team edged the West 105-100 in the NBA D-League All-Star game at the Superdome.
Cook, the former Duke standout playing for the Canton Charge, led all scorers with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including four of six threes. He also spread the wealth around with a game-high 12 assists.
Teammate Omar McKinnie of Chicago’s Windy City Bulls scored 16 points for the East, and Edy Tavares of the Mississauga, Ontario Raptors 905 led all rebounders with 11.
Justin Harper of the Los Angeles D-Fenders paced the West with 17 points.
In the D-League skills competition, guard Scott Wood of the Santa Cruz Warriors won the three-point shootout, while forward Troy Williams of the Iowa Energy took the slam dunk contest.
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12:25 p.m.
LeBron James has arrived at All-Star weekend.
The Cleveland star and three-time NBA champion is on the floor for Eastern Conference All-Star practice. He missed Friday’s All-Star events while tending to a family matter.
James tossed a T-shirt into the screaming crowd as he walked out to start practice, sending fans straining to catch the freebie. It’s the 13th All-Star weekend for James, the most of anyone in Sunday night’s contest.
Says East coach Brad Stevens, ”Watching these guys, everyone should love it.”
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11:15 a.m.
Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are on the floor together – though they started on opposite ends.
The Western Conference All-Stars are practicing at the Superdome, and interaction between Westbrook and any of the Golden State Warriors has been limited at best. The four Golden State All-Stars started warming up at one end of the floor, while Westbrook went to the other.
Stephen Curry eventually came down to the end of the court where Westbrook was shooting, and not long after that West coach Steve Kerr of Golden State summoned the whole team to one end of the floor. He told the team to run a little bit of five-man weave, ”to…