NBA All-Star weekend's new format gets mixed reviews

"I think it's interesting. It's different," New York's Jalen Brunson said after his team — Kenny's Young Stars — lost in the semifinal round. "The games are kind of short. I like the format. It's something new, something unique. Maybe score to 50, maybe. But, it's interesting, something new like that. You never really know what to expect, but it was all right."

The entire idea has been met with skepticism from the outset, first for the notion of turning the game into a tournament with eight-man rosters, and then for the additional detail of having 24 All-Stars, as usual, but adding the Rising Stars event winner — a team with no All-Stars, at least not any selected by fans, media or coaches — into the competition.

Boston's Jayson Tatum, who scored 15 points to help Shaq's OGs in the final, said he wasn't sure about whether the Rising Stars should have been part of the event.

"Obviously happy for those guys," Tatum said. "But, there is something to be said, it's kind of a big deal to be an All-Star and play Sunday night. Some guys get snubbed and other guys have to work really, really hard to make the All-Star Game. Playing on Sunday night is special, and it always has been. I'm not saying that was the right or wrong decision.

"Trial run, I guess," he added. "They'll continue to make tweaks or whatever."

It was unusual, for certain. Miami guard Tyler Herro, the league's new 3-point shootout champion, played eight minutes in his All-Star debut. He didn't even need a towel when he left the floor for the night.

"It was a short, quick burst, honestly," Herro said. "Broke like not even a half-sweat."

The Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James and Minnesota's Anthony Edwards couldn't play because of injuries. James said before the games that he was curious about how it would all turn out. Edwards didn't seem to care for the whole notion. Basically, if he's going to play hard, he's going to do it with something at stake.