McDonald's All-American Game 2016: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

If defense is largely optional at the NBA All-Star Game, it was bound to be at Wednesday's McDonald's All-American Game at the United Center in Chicago.  

That was the case as the West squad beat the East squad in a shootout, 114-107. The game's official Twitter account shared an image of Frank and Josh Jackson sharing the MVP honors after leading the West Team to the win:

The game's official Twitter account also noted the Jacksons each scored a contest-high 19 points, while point guard Lonzo Ball directed the West's attack with 13 assists.

As to be expected at an all-star game, both teams ran up and down the court on nearly every possession and had no hesitation firing three-pointers and rattling the rims with dunks. Frank Jackson drilled five shots from deep, while Josh Jackson shot a blistering 9-of-11 from the field, per Ryan Fish of SNY.tv.

The West got off to an early lead, thanks largely to Ball's ability to control the pace and find his open teammates. Jeff Borzello of ESPN commented on the guard's early play:

Chad Lykins of 247Sports didn't hesitate to dish out praise for Ball:

"

Good for the rest of the country to get a glimpse at Lonzo Ball. The best PG in the class of 2016.

— Chad Lykins (@CLykinsBlog) March 31, 2016"

Behind those assists, the West took a 26-20 lead with less than 13 minutes remaining in the first half. While Ball was turning heads with his play on one side, Michigan State-bound Miles Bridges took advantage of the All-Star Game type of defense for the East, via ESPN College BBall:

"

MSU fans, meet incoming Spartan Miles Bridges. #sctop10 https://t.co/FF5CvHAamk

— ESPN College BBall (@ESPNCBB) March 31, 2016"

The East remained within striking distance early, but the West also received solid contributions from big man Marques Bolden, as Borzello described:

The West also had Josh Jackson setting the tone as it extended its first-half lead to double digits. Jason Jordan of the USA Today called Jackson "the best player on the court right now," and Kevin Flaherty of 247Sports pointed to the versatile playmaker's passing ability:

The East battled back late in the first half and cut the deficit to 52-47 headed to the locker rooms. The game's official Twitter account shared the halftime stats:

The West wasted little time pushing its lead to double digits again in the second half. However, Kobi Simmons helped the East out some against the invisible All-American Game defense, via ESPN U:

The West built a 74-62 lead by the under-12-minute timeout, and Eric Bossi of Rivals.com took note of Malik Monk's ability to soar to the basket on the baseline:

While Monk was finishing above the rim, it was still Ball who was dictating the tempo of the contest with the basketball in his hands. Borzello commented on the point guard in the second half:

Lykins echoed many of the same sentiments:

The West continued to extend its lead in the middle portion of the second half, thanks in part to the outside shooting of Frank Jackson. Bossi reacted to the spurt:

Thanks to that three-point shooting, the West was ahead 94-75 at the under-eight-minute timeout and in full control of the contest. Evan Daniels of Scout.com implied Duke fans won't have to worry about their team's Sweet 16 loss to Oregon for much longer:

From there, the result was never in doubt. However, Kentucky-bound Edrice "Bam" Adebayo continued to compete on the boards for the East. Borzello took notice:

Even with Adebayo controlling the glass, the East couldn't rack together enough defensive stops in the offense-first contest down the stretch. It scored some meaningless points in garbage time, but the West completed the victory, 114-107. 

What's Next?

Next up for the stars on display in the United Center is the collegiate level. 

Fans got a good look at three players in particular who could be significant contributors for their schools as soon as next season. Ball is headed to UCLA and will be tasked with leading a turnaround from the point guard spot for the legendary program that missed the NCAA tournament in 2015-16.

Frank Jackson will join the Blue Devils and will help fill the void if superstar Brandon Ingram goes to the NBA, which is largely expected. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski's team could have used Jackson's shooting against the Ducks in the Big Dance this year. 

As for Josh Jackson, he is still deciding between Michigan State, Kansas and Arizona. 247Sports' "crystal ball" predictions are leaning Kansas' way as of Wednesday, with 59 percent in favor of the Jayhawks compared to 23 percent for the Spartans and 18 percent for the Wildcats.

Those are three of the elite programs in the nation, and Jackson is talented enough to come in and make a difference for any of them. Whichever team lands him will have a versatile playmaker who boosted his already sky-high stock as a 5-star recruit—per 247Sports' composite rankings—on Wednesday. 

Postgame Reaction

The two co-MVPs both talked after the game on the ESPN broadcast. 

Frank Jackson commented on the West's ability to play team basketball, via Fish: "I think we played well together. We were unselfish. We got out and had some fun. Threw a couple lobs and got the crowd going a little bit."

Josh Jackson pointed to Ball as a major reason why the West was so team-oriented, via Fish: "First of all, it was just an honor be here. I've been watching this game for many years and it just feels good to finally have my opportunity to play in this game. And I was just coming out trying to get a win. And Thank God for [Lonzo] Ball, I mean UCLA they got one heck of a player."

Bruins fans will be thrilled to hear that.