Post by MizzouTiger on Feb 18, 2008 12:08:39 GMT -5
www.kansascity.com/sports/story/494382.html
James, East soar in All-Star victory
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS | King James is All-Star royalty again.
Cleveland’s LeBron James threw down a powerful dunk for the go-ahead basket with 55 seconds left, punctuating an MVP performance and helping the Eastern Conference beat the Western Conference 134-128 in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night.
James finished with 27 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in capturing his second MVP award in the last three years. He was honored in 2006 after he sparked the East’s big rally in a 122-120 victory in Houston.
This time, the East blew the big lead, and the West came back from 16 points down and grabbed a fourth-quarter lead. But with the game tied at 125-125, James came up with a steal, then dribbled the length of the court before soaring for a dunk over a couple of West players that put the East back on top for good.
“You saw that last dunk by LeBron,” West guard Chris Paul of New Orleans said. “I mean, we had two people on him, but that still wasn’t enough.”
Coming off last year’s embarrassing 153-132 loss in Las Vegas, James was ready to play from the start. He danced along with a jazz band playing during pregame introductions, then went down the line and high-fived the rest of the East players at the completion of the national anthem.
“The East did a great job man, we got a big lead in the first half, and we withstood their run in the fourth quarter,” James said after accepting the MVP trophy. “We made plays down the stretch.”
One of the players making big plays for the East was Boston’s Ray Allen.
Allen, the final player added to either roster, made three straight three-pointers in the final 3:15 and scored 14 points in the final quarter. He finished with 28 points.
Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire, Portland’s Brandon Roy and Denver’s Carmelo Anthony each scored 18 points for the West, which rallied behind Paul in the fourth quarter. Paul’s seventh assist of the period set up Roy’s layup and gave the West a 122-119 lead.
If the West had kept that lead, Paul might have ended up with the MVP award. Paul had 16 points and 14 assists in the game.
New Orleans coach Byron Scott, who coached the West, said before the game he would prefer to limit the minutes of the Hornets’ Paul and David West. But Scott couldn’t bring himself to pull Paul in the fourth quarter.
Still, when it was all over, bragging rights belonged to the East.
James, East soar in All-Star victory
The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS | King James is All-Star royalty again.
Cleveland’s LeBron James threw down a powerful dunk for the go-ahead basket with 55 seconds left, punctuating an MVP performance and helping the Eastern Conference beat the Western Conference 134-128 in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night.
James finished with 27 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in capturing his second MVP award in the last three years. He was honored in 2006 after he sparked the East’s big rally in a 122-120 victory in Houston.
This time, the East blew the big lead, and the West came back from 16 points down and grabbed a fourth-quarter lead. But with the game tied at 125-125, James came up with a steal, then dribbled the length of the court before soaring for a dunk over a couple of West players that put the East back on top for good.
“You saw that last dunk by LeBron,” West guard Chris Paul of New Orleans said. “I mean, we had two people on him, but that still wasn’t enough.”
Coming off last year’s embarrassing 153-132 loss in Las Vegas, James was ready to play from the start. He danced along with a jazz band playing during pregame introductions, then went down the line and high-fived the rest of the East players at the completion of the national anthem.
“The East did a great job man, we got a big lead in the first half, and we withstood their run in the fourth quarter,” James said after accepting the MVP trophy. “We made plays down the stretch.”
One of the players making big plays for the East was Boston’s Ray Allen.
Allen, the final player added to either roster, made three straight three-pointers in the final 3:15 and scored 14 points in the final quarter. He finished with 28 points.
Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire, Portland’s Brandon Roy and Denver’s Carmelo Anthony each scored 18 points for the West, which rallied behind Paul in the fourth quarter. Paul’s seventh assist of the period set up Roy’s layup and gave the West a 122-119 lead.
If the West had kept that lead, Paul might have ended up with the MVP award. Paul had 16 points and 14 assists in the game.
New Orleans coach Byron Scott, who coached the West, said before the game he would prefer to limit the minutes of the Hornets’ Paul and David West. But Scott couldn’t bring himself to pull Paul in the fourth quarter.
Still, when it was all over, bragging rights belonged to the East.