Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 23 points against his former team, and Indiana beat the Toronto Raptors 127-125 on Wednesday night.
Siakam, traded from Toronto to Indiana last month, said he felt good after picking up the victory in his first trip back north of the border.
“You don’t want to come here and lose,” Siakam said. “That was a thing on my mind.
Everyone was telling me, ‘I’m so happy to see you,’ but in my head I was like, ‘I’ve got to get a win, man. I can’t lose this game.’ Definitely feels good to get a win.
Since its introduction in 2003, the game has become a staple of All-Star Weekend, played each year except 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There have been two multi-time Most Valuable Player winners — Kevin Hart (4) and Terrell Owens (2) — with other big names consistently participating in the event.
Though the celebrity game has found its place during All-Star Weekend, other events or ideas haven’t stuck around.
The NBA has tested various formats, rules and events in hopes of making the basketball-filled weekend as competitive and entertaining as possible.
Here’s a look back at various ideas that added a different twist over the years, but didn’t become a permanent part of NBA All-Star Weekend.
