ORLANDO—From the perspective of the Hawks, the best thing about Sunday's NBA All-Star game might be that Joe Johnson didn't play in it.
Eastern Conference coaches voted Johnson to play in the league's showcase game for the sixth straight season but he bowed out with a sore left knee. The Hawks guard still had to come to Orlando for assorted appearances but said he didn't do anything more stressful than sit around and get treatment for his tendinitis.
“My days have been pretty boring,” Johnson said over the weekend.
Ice and electrical stimulation treatment may not as exciting as playing in the game, an honor Johnson has always cherished. But Johnson said the knee is feeling better so sitting out was worth the tradeoff.
So Johnson watched from the bench as his East teammates lost 152-149 to the West. Thunder forward Kevin Durant was named the game's most valuable player after he scored 36 points.
The game followed its typical form: lots of dunks and scoring with little in the way of competitive basketball. At least it that's how it went until the East, led by Heat forward LeBron James, decided to offer a bit of resistance after the West led 88-69 at halftime to set an All-Star game record for points in a half.
The East staged a comeback to trim the lead to 150-149 on Heat guard Dwyane Wade's two free throws with 22.8 seconds left. The East trailed 151-149 when New Jersey's Deron Williams missed an open 3-point try and James threw the ball away after the East rebounded the miss.
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant surpassed Michael Jordan's 262 career points in All-Star games. Bryant finished with 27 points to increase his total to 271.
The night was as much (or more) about the spectacle as the game. The hoopla included a pregame performance by musician Nicki Minaj and Mary J. Blige singing the National Anthem. Rapper Pitbull and singers Ne-Yo and Chris Brown performed at halftime.
Assorted celebrities and NBA legends populated the crowd, including Magic Johnson. Johnson, the MVP of the 1992 All-Star game in Orlando three months after he announced he was HIV positive, received a standing ovation when he was introduced during the game.
The game was staged against the backdrop of Orlando center Dwight Howard's trade demand. Because of that Howard, an Atlanta native, said he wasn't sure how he'd be received by fans at the Amway Center.
“I don't know what to expect but I am pretty sure it's going to be great,” Howard said.
It turned out Howard did get a warm reception as he danced during the elaborate pregame introductions. Fans cheered Howard again when he took the microphone before the tip to thank the city for being a good host and expressing his affection for Orlando (but not promising to stay).
Now the NBA will get back to serious basketball. The league schedule resumes Tuesday, and the Hawks will play host to Golden State Wednesday at Philips Arena.
Joe Johnson should return to action then. He said there's “no pain” in the knee after he sat out Atlanta's final two games before the All-Star break.
Johnson's production and efficiency both took a nosedive this month after his previously strong play had earned him another All-Star selection. He said the compressed schedule, caused by the lockout, took its toll on his knee. He finally shut it down after failing to finish Atlanta's game at Chicago Monday and relished the chance to rest since then.
“It’s the first time all season I will get a chance to have, what, four or five days off?” said Johnson, who actually will get eight days without a game. “Can’t beat that.”
The Hawks (20-14) will try to build on their 83-78 victory against Orlando Thursday. Before that victory they'd lost three in a row and eight of 11 and while showing signs of poor team chemistry.
Before their slide the Hawks had won nine if 11 games in the wake of an injury to Al Horford, a two-time All-Star. Since then Atlanta also has dealt with injuries to center Jason Collins and Johnson and forward Tracy McGrady's public complaints about playing time.
Atlanta has slid to sixth place in the East. Just as the All-Star break helped Johnson's knee mend, it might also allow the Hawks to regroup.
“If we had our All-Star center, things would be a little different,” Johnson said. “But we have got to work with what we’ve got. We’ve got to be more together. There has been a little separation, especially towards the break. I’m sure we will get that cohesiveness back and try to make this late push to position ourselves for the playoffs.”
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