Some of the best players on the NBA got together last Sunday
19th for the NBA All-Star game that was played in Houston.
The winner had been the Western Conference for three straight
games until, with Allen Iverson, the East pulled a 125-115
victory at Denver on last year's game. Iverson took Most
Valuable Player honors with 15 points and ten assists.
Yesterday the Rockets had two players in the West starting
lineup, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady started, along with Los
Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, San Antonio Spurs forward Tim
Duncan and Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash.
Yao tiped off against Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal. The
Eastern Conference starting lineup also consisted of
Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson, Cleveland Cavaliers
guard LeBron James and Heat forward Dwyane Wade.
O'Neal and Bryant, former Laker teammates no longer feuding,
shook hands before tipoff and laughed when O'Neal fouled Bryant
in the first quarter. O'Neal scored 17points, while Kobe Bryant
finished with 73 fewer points than he scored last month against
Toronto, although it was Bryant's jumper tied the game with 32
seconds to play.
Cleveland's LeBron James became the youngest MVP in the league's
history after the East overcame a 21-point deficit to defeat the
West, 122-120. The 21-year-old small forward scored 29 points on
12-of-21 shooting. Houston's Tracy McGrady, the sentimental
favorite, scored 36 points on 15-of-26 shooting, but he also
missed five of seven free throws and had his potential
game-tying jumper blocked by James. Rasheed Wallace then slapped
the ball away from Kobe Bryant to clinch the win. Miami's Dwyane
Wade added 20 points, including the game-winning putback with
16.6 seconds left. Chauncey Billups, one of four Pistons in the
game, scored 15 off the bench with seven assists.
But the biggest star of the weekend, or in this case the
smallest, wasn't even in the building on Sunday night. The
Knicks' Nate Robinson returned home to Seattle for a little R&R
while he waits for the endorsement deals to come rolling in.
Larry Brown's job of trying to corral Robinson's ego and raw
floor game just got a lot harder. Robinson won the slam dunk
competition Saturday by beating Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala in
a controversial finish.
Robinson took advantage of the rule that allows competitors to
miss dunks without being penalized. The 5-9 Robinson completed
five dunks, including three of the spectacular variety. He also
missed 22 times. In the final round, Robinson needed nine
attempts before completing his dunk. Robinson scored a 47 on his
final dunk, despite needing 15 tries. Smith gave Robinson a 10
while awarding Iguodala a 9 for his final dunk, he took home
$35,000 for winning.
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