Stars come through to finish 2012 All-Star game with a bang!
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ORLANDO -- It began innocuously enough, Miami's LeBron James subbing back in with seven minutes left in what had been a typical NBA All-Star Game (electric in spurts, snoozy for stretches). The East team trailed by 15, much as it had by double digits all night, so it wasn't clear if Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau really was sending James in with legitimate comeback aspirations or maybe to run up mileage on the best player on the Bulls' biggest rival.
Eighty-five seconds later, though, the East had closed to within 138-130. Then to six with, hey, more than four minutes left. Three with three. Then one with a whole 1:44 to go, courtesy of Deron Williams' steal and layup on an East inbounds that made it 148-147.
Game freaking on. At that point, the unicorn of All-Star Games showed itself at Amway Center Sunday night: A robust, Madison Square Garden-worthy chant of "Dee-FENSE! Dee-FENSE!"
Game freaking on. At that point, the unicorn of All-Star Games showed itself at Amway Center Sunday night: A robust, Madison Square Garden-worthy chant of "Dee-FENSE! Dee-FENSE!"
If it hadn't felt so right at that moment, it would have been cute, a crowd long on corporate sponsors and celebrities getting so lusty, so late. But real bsketball and serious intensity broke out in the nick of time, sending the West's 152-149 victory into the books with a deserving MVP (Kevin Durant), a frustrated James and the sense that this really had been a sports competition rather than a showy, channel-flipper's alternative to the Oscars.
"With all these great players on the floor, you never know what will happen," said Durant, who scored 34 of his 36 points in the first three quarters, helping the West build a fat lead that it never, not quite, lost. "Guys making big shots, and they cut it down to one. We were up 18 [21 actually]. ... It was fun. That's the type of All-Star Game you want to see. I'm glad I won. I'm glad I got MVP."
By the final minutes, that honor was going to be either/or: Either Durant if the West held on to win, or James if his spark off the bench late managed to get the East all the way back. Of course, with the drama squeezed into the final minutes of the fourth quarter -- let's repeat, the fourth quarter -- the scrutiny on James' performance and decisions at the end was extreme.
The Heat star did have the ball in his hands three times near the very end with a chance to win or tie -- and three times he passed it. The first went to Williams, the East within 151-149, but his 3-pointer from the wing clanged off with 8.9 seconds left. Williams got the rebound back to James, who tried to pass crosscourt right to left -- and had it plucked by the West's Blake Griffin. Kobe Bryant -- who scored 27 points to push his career All-Star total (271) past Michael Jordan (262) for No. 1 on the all-time list -- barked at James after that gaffe. The Miami star admitted he hesitated on the pass just an instant, resulting in the turnover.
"With all these great players on the floor, you never know what will happen," said Durant, who scored 34 of his 36 points in the first three quarters, helping the West build a fat lead that it never, not quite, lost. "Guys making big shots, and they cut it down to one. We were up 18 [21 actually]. ... It was fun. That's the type of All-Star Game you want to see. I'm glad I won. I'm glad I got MVP."
By the final minutes, that honor was going to be either/or: Either Durant if the West held on to win, or James if his spark off the bench late managed to get the East all the way back. Of course, with the drama squeezed into the final minutes of the fourth quarter -- let's repeat, the fourth quarter -- the scrutiny on James' performance and decisions at the end was extreme.
The Heat star did have the ball in his hands three times near the very end with a chance to win or tie -- and three times he passed it. The first went to Williams, the East within 151-149, but his 3-pointer from the wing clanged off with 8.9 seconds left. Williams got the rebound back to James, who tried to pass crosscourt right to left -- and had it plucked by the West's Blake Griffin. Kobe Bryant -- who scored 27 points to push his career All-Star total (271) past Michael Jordan (262) for No. 1 on the all-time list -- barked at James after that gaffe. The Miami star admitted he hesitated on the pass just an instant, resulting in the turnover.