NBA All-Star Game Makes History, No One Cares

The Western Conference scored 186 points in Sunday's NBA All-Star Game—and lost by a mile. The winning Eastern Conference put up 211 points, marking the first time a team has cracked the 200-point threshold in league history, notes CNN. The problem for the league is that few people are celebrating the feat:

• It was a "forgettable blowout," writes Ben Golliver at the Washington Post. After last year's 184-175 game, which proved to be a ratings bust, the league had been aiming for a more competitive game this year. Big fail.
• Note the tone of NBA commissioner Adam Silver on court after the game in this video clip: "To the Eastern Conference All-Stars: You scored the most points. Well. (Long pause.) Congratulations."
• At CBS Sports, Brad Botkin writes: "If it wasn't my job to watch that game, I would've changed the channel within five minutes. I can't imagine I'm alone in that sentiment." Given that players understandably don't want to get hurt in a meaningless exhibition, he's not sure the format is fixable.

• At the Athletic, Chris Branch swears he is not a "miserable curmudgeon," but he wonders who the game is for. "I honestly could not come up with a good idea for an answer. Is this just what we do from here on out? Produce an unwatchable basketball game ... every year that's best consumed via one or two social media clips? Or via an embellished story on an athlete's podcast 10 years from now? I guess this is fine, but I'm not sure if it's particularly interesting."
• For those who are interested in the game, the AP rounds up some of the many records shattered, including the 42 3-pointers made by the East and the combined 193 points in the first half alone.

(More NBA stories.)