When captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo meet for the 2020 All-Star Game on Sunday (8 p.m. ET, TNT), their teams could be bringing a little more intensity to the floor than usual. With a new format in place, the league is hoping to increase the level of competition and give fans a more exciting exhibition.
How will the All-Star Game play out? Here’s a breakdown of the 2020 format so you can avoid any confusion during the live broadcast.
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NBA All-Star Game format, explained
What are the rule changes for the 2020 All-Star Game?
Team Giannis and Team LeBron will compete to win each of the first three quarters of the game. Those quarters will be the standard 12 minutes but start with a 0-0 score. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the game clock will be turned off and a final target score will be set based on the leading team’s cumulative score through the first three quarters. That target score will be the leading team’s total score plus 24 points.
Once the target score is finalized, Team Giannis and Team LeBron will play the untimed fourth quarter, and the first team to reach the target score will win the game.
How does the NBA All-Star format work?
If the cumulative score through three quarters is 100-95 in favor of Team LeBron, the target score would be 124. Team LeBron would only need to score 24 points in order to win, while Team Giannis would need to score 29 points. The results of the previous three quarters are simply based on the individual scores of those quarters.
How does the All-Star Game honor Kobe Bryant?
The NBA decided to incorporate 24 points into the target score to honor Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26. The 18-time All-Star wore the No. 24 from the 2006-07 season through 2015-16.
Why is winning each quarter important?
The winner of each of the first three quarters will receive $100,000 (a total of $300,000) for a Chicago-based community organization. The overall winning team will earn $200,000.
OK, so what about ties?
If the first or second quarter ends in a tie, the charity money for that quarter will be rolled over to the next quarter. If the third quarter ends in a tie, then the charity money will be added to the total for the winner of the game.
Will the NBA use this All-Star format moving forward?
The league has not released an official statement on the status of the All-Star Game beyond 2020.
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NBA All-Star rosters 2020
Team LeBron
*All-Star starters**Booker named injury replacement for Lillard
Team Giannis
*All-Star starters
2020 NBA All-Star Draft complete order
**Booker named injury replacement for Lillard
