Sixers star Joel Embiid scores 32 points for Team LeBron as they fall in NBA All-Star Game

SALT LAKE CITY — Joel Embiid looked physically fine and appeared to enjoy himself.

Things didn’t end well for Embiid and his Team LeBron squad, however. They lost 184-175 to Team Giannis in Sunday night’s NBA All-Star Game at the Vivint Arena.

The 76ers center didn’t fully commit to playing until Sunday when he boarded a flight to Utah..

“I mean I’m okay,” said Embiid, who’s managed left foot soreness all season.. “I’m here. I played to have fun. That’s what this weekend is supposed to be about. You know, just go out and try your best and try to give it back to the fans. And I felt like that’s what we did.”

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He finished with 32 points on 14-for-19 shooting, including making 4-of-8 three-pointes. Embiid also had six rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block in 27 minutes, 30 seconds. Most of his damage came in the third quarter, scoring 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, who played for Team Giannis, finished with an All-Star Game record 55 points to go with 10 rebounds and six assists en route to being named the game’s MVP. Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell added 40 points for Team Giannis.

For the fourth consecutive season, the teams competed to win the first three quarters. Each quarter started 0-0 with 12 minutes allotted. Those periods were followed by an untimed fourth quarter during which the teams played to a final target score.

Each team played for a local charity. Team Giannis played for Raise the Future and Team LeBron for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Utah. The beneficiary received $100,000 for each quarter their team won. The teams were tied, 46-46, in the first quarter. As a result, Big Brothers and Big Sisters and Raise the Future both received $50,000. Team Giannis won the second, 53-46, and the third, 59-49.

In the fourth quarter, the teams played to a final target score of 182. The first team to reach that score was the winner. It was determined by adding the 24 points (in honor of Kobe Bryant) to the leading team’s total cumulative score through three quarters (158 by Team Giannis).

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Embiid’s stellar performance in the game came after he was noncommittal about playing in the game for the past two weeks because of his injury. He was not at Saturday’s Eastern Conference All-Star practice or the media availability that followed. At the time, a Sixers source he believed that Embiid intended to play in the game. That became obvious when Embiid attended a photo shoot Sunday afternoon at the arena.

Then the six-time All-Star learned around 40 minutes before the start of the game which team he’d play for on Sunday. That’s when the team captains, the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, drafted their rosters from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves in each conference.

To avoid any hurt feelings about being picked last, captains picked reserves before starters. Antetokounmpo had the first overall pick and selected Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, who attended nearby Weber State and who hit the decisive shot to put Team Giannis over the 182-point target score. Team LeBron picked the last reserve, Memphis Grizzlies power forward Jaren Jackson Jr. Embiid was the first starter picked, and the last player selected from that group was Utah Jazz power forward Lauri Markkanen.

Antetokoumpo and James couldn’t avoid the same fate, however. Antetokoumpo, who injured his wrist last week, was subbed out after scoring the opening points on a dunk. He did not return. James sat out the second half after suffering a hand injury.

“I tried to get one little chase-down block, and got my finger caught in the rim,” James said. “But I’ll be fine. I’ll be fine. I don’t think it’s too much to worry about. For precautionary reasons, I just had to take the rest of the night off.”

Embiid was asked how it felt to be picked No. 1 by James, the face of the NBA, after he wasn’t originally voted an All-Star starter. Embiid, along with Markkanen and the Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant, started in place of sidelined All-Stars Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns), Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans), and Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors).

“I mean, it’s great, I guess,” he said. “I guess it shows that players know more than you guys.”

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Playing alongside his rival Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, Embiid was part of a twin towers starting lineup for Team LeBron. The two are the league’s top centers, with Jokić being voted MVP the last two seasons and Embiid finishing as runner-up. And they’re both among the favorites to win the award this season. Team LeBron’s other starters were James and Dallas Mavericks guards Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić. Team Giannis’ starting lineup was Antetokoumpo, Markkanen, Mitchell, Morant, and Tatum.

“I think it’s fun,” Jokić said of playing alongside Embiid. ”I think we could play together. He needs to play the four, of course, because he can defend a little bit more than I. I love to play with a big man who is really dominant, so I think it could work in the future.”