Karl-Anthony Towns drops 50 points to lead Kentucky basketball party in NBA All-Star Game

Twenty-four NBA All-Stars took the court in Indianapolis on Sunday night, and a quarter of them were former Kentucky basketball players.

A record-breaking seven Wildcats were among those chosen for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, and six — Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, Anthony Davis, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Maxey and Karl-Anthony Towns — suited up for the big event, including one starter for each team. Julius Randle, a seventh ex-Cat, was selected for the All-Star Game but could not play due to a shoulder injury suffered last month.

The East team beat the West 211-186 in Sunday’s game, setting a scoring record for the NBA showcase.

Towns was the All-Star Game’s leading scorer with 50 points, and he led the West team with eight rebounds. He threw down several highlight-reel dunks that had the TNT broadcast crew lobbying for the 28-year-old to be in the 2025 Slam Dunk contest.

The Minnesota Timberwolves star was in his fourth All-Star Game and missed last year’s event while playing only 29 games during the 2022-23 season due to injury.

“It was amazing, amazing to be able to be in this position,” Towns said. “After everything that happened last year with me and the injury and everything, you learn more to appreciate and cherish the moments and opportunity you’re given. Tonight was one of those times where you just realize being in a locker room full of some greats in the NBA and the best players in the world and be able to be out here and be able to represent my country and my organization, I just wanted to cherish this moment and make the most of it.

“I didn’t know it was going to be 50. I thought maybe it was going to be more like 15. But God is good. It’s Sunday. I’m blessed to be in this situation.”

Gilgeous-Alexander, who was selected as a West starter, scored 31 points and was 7-of-10 from 3-point range. West teammate Booker added 15 points, and Davis had six points, tied Towns with eight rebounds and dished out a game-high nine assists.

Adebayo started for the East team in place of injured Joel Embiid, and he ended up with just three points on only two shot attempts in 17 minutes. Maxey scored 10 points for the East, which was led by Damian Lillard with 39 points. Lillard was named the game’s MVP.

Kentucky coach John Calipari was obviously there for the occasion. Calipari has referenced UK’s seven All-Stars several times over the past few weeks, and he mentioned after the Wildcats’ win at Auburn on Saturday night that he would be flying to Indianapolis to attend the game and meet with his former players and their families.

Calipari posted several photos on social media throughout the day. He had lunch at Harry & Izzy’s with Maxey, Towns and former UK player Jacob Toppin, who participated in the Slam Dunk contest Saturday night, posing for photos with the ex-Cats and their families.

The Kentucky coach said he felt Toppin got “robbed” in the dunk contest, which was won by high-flying G League player Mac McLung for the second consecutive year. Toppin, who has split time between the New York Knicks and the G League’s Westchester Knicks, was eliminated in the first round of the event.

Also on Saturday night, recent UK players Oscar Tshiebwe and Cason Wallace participated in the Rising Stars event, while Maxey competed in the Skills Challenge and Towns made it to the final round of the 3-Point Contest, which was won by Lillard.

Kentucky had a 188-37 overall record, with an 87-19 mark in the SEC, four league titles, three SEC tournament championships, three trips to the Final Four, two national title game appearances and one NCAA championship in the six seasons that its seven All-Stars were in college.

All seven were one-and-done players, and Booker and Towns were teammates on the 2014-15 team that went 38-0 before losing in the Final Four. Maxey’s 2019-20 team did not compete in the postseason, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Calipari also posted several photos from the All-Star Game itself, including some of him posing with family members of players and one shot alongside the six Wildcats who participated in the game, plus former UK point guard Tyler Ulis, who was teammates with Booker and Towns in 2014-15 and then a star for the team in 2015-16.

“Nothing better than seeing my guys shine on the greatest stage!!!” the UK coach said in a post. “And great to check in with their families here in Indy!”

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