Tacko Fall Dominates Paint in All-Star Celebrity Game Showcase
INGLEWOOD, CA — Tacko Fall turned the All-Star Celebrity Game into a mini clinic on rim protection and interior scoring, hauling in thunderous plays that had teammates and coaches scrambling to contain him during Friday night (ET) action. His influence helped swing momentum in a 65-58 victory for Team Giannis, while Rome Flynn walked away with MVP honors.
Tacko's on-court impact: rim threat and momentum swinger
At 7-foot-5, Tacko Fall’s presence was impossible to ignore. Opponents were repeatedly instructed to keep him out of the paint, and for good reason: Fall attacked the glass, finished aggressively off the glass and altered shots with towering blocks. Those plays not only padded the stat sheet but shifted the flow of the game — opponents hesitated to drive, while teammates fed him inside for high-percentage looks.
Flynn, the game’s top scorer with 17 points and the eventual MVP, highlighted Fall’s finish after the win: “Tacko, he’s unstoppable, that off-the-glass just looked too good. ” That endorsement came after multiple possessions where Fall’s catches and finishes drew crowd roars and forced the opposition to rotate extra defenders into the paint.
A highlights package later showcased several of Fall’s best moments: strong offensive put-backs, a handful of defensive swats and a few hustle plays that set up easy transition points. Those sequences proved decisive when the game flipped to a double-scoring period, making every inside bucket feel even more valuable.
Game flow, pivotal sequences and the MVP storyline
The contest featured a mid-game twist called “double time, ” during which every field goal was worth twice its value. That rule change produced a sudden swing in momentum and magnified the consequences of each possession. Team Giannis used double time to seize control; after Flynn hit consecutive threes and a pivotal free throw, a vintage Jeremy Lin moment — a rare 4-point play that counted as an 8-point swing — helped them extend the lead into double digits.
Coaching personalities on the sideline worked the substitutions and matchups hard, with instructions frequently aimed at containing Fall’s dominance near the rim. The strategy underlined how quickly a big man can tilt a celebrity-style game where defensive structures are looser and highlight plays are prized.
Despite late-game antics — including a lighthearted attempt to swipe Flynn’s MVP trophy by on-court personalities — the winner’s circle remained intact. Flynn celebrated back-to-back MVP hardware, praising teammates and naming several contributors who made the night special. “This was a team effort right here, ” he said. “Shout out to my teammates. ”
Fall’s interior work was a clear theme of the evening. While he wasn’t the game’s leading scorer, his ability to create second-chance points and intimidate drives changed how possessions were run against Team Giannis, ultimately helping swing the final 65-58 score in their favor.
All-Star weekend will continue with more on-court showcases, but for many fans the celebrity tilt will be remembered for its mix of star turns and the simple spectacle of a towering big man making plays that translated directly into points and momentum.
