NEW YORK — Russell Westbrook scored a game-high 41 points in just 25 1/2 minutes of playing time to earn Most Valuable Player honors and lead the Western Conference to a 163-158 victory over the East in the 2015 NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
The Oklahoma City Thunder star made 16 of his 28 field-goal attempts, including five of nine 3-point tries, to set a new All-Star record for points scored in a half (27, besting the 24 managed by Glen Rice in 1997 and Kyrie Irving in 2014). He fell one point shy of matching the all-time All-Star single-game record set by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962.
LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers led the East with 30 points on 11-for-21 shooting to go with seven assists, five rebounds and two steals in 32 minutes. He has now scored 278 total points over the course of 11 All-Star appearances, sitting just two points shy of the career All-Star scoring record held by Kobe Bryant.
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After a pregame concert headlined by Christina Aguilera and Nas, James got the MSG crowd hyped up right off the opening tip, beginning the evening's scoring with a pair of very loud dunks:
James got off to a white-hot start, scoring 12 points in the first six minutes and returning the favor to Washington Wizards point guard John Wall up for an alley-oop of his own on a fast-break give-and-go:
But despite LeBron putting up 15 points in the opening frame, the West held a 46-35 lead after 12 minutes, thanks in large part to the scoring skill of James Harden and the playmaking wizardry of Stephen Curry, which converged on this beautiful hookup on a lob by the Golden State Warriors triggerman that led to a lefty hammer by the Houston Rockets star:
The West also benefited from Westbrook's near-boundless athleticism, as he linked up with 2013 All-Star Game MVP Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers on this halfcourt reverse finish:
... and later beat the first-quarter buzzer with a signature rim-punishing tomahawk:
Westbrook continued his energetic act in the secon, throwing down dunks and draining deep triples en route to 27 points by halftime on 11 of 15 shooting in just 11 minutes, 21 seconds of floor time.
Even so, the West couldn't pull away, as the East rode a balanced attack — every member of head coach Mike Budenholzer's club scored in the second besides Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap — to draw within one point at the break, 83-82. (The 165 total points tied an All-Star record for total points scored in a half, which was also set last year in New Orleans.)
Perhaps the half's greatest highlight: long-in-the-tooth Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki dunking an alley-oop feed from Curry, which is the sort of rarity that merits massive celebration:
The M.J. tongue, the Vince celebration, Tim Duncan's unbridled joy ... everything about it was just magnificent.
And speaking of rarities, Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry — evidently looking to show that, like fellow point men Wall and Westbrook, he too can muster some bounce — threw down a tip dunk that was his first slam since April 2008:
(Well, that sure shut me right up.)
With the atmosphere in MSG flagging a bit early in the third quarter, Lowry and LeBron provided a shot of adrenaline with a long-distance connection for a double-clutch reverse slam by the King:
Not to be outdone, the newly minted Three-Point Shootout champ took it upon himself to kickstart the Garden's heart by reminding us all that he is, indeed, magic:
The two sides traded blows in the third, finishing the frame knotted at 122 heading into the fourth. Neither side could gain much separation in the first half of the final stanza, but the West began to pull away late in the proceedings, keyed by a pair of 3-pointers from Harden and five Westbrook points in the final 2:22 to seal the victory.
Harden finished with 29 points on 11-for-16 shooting, eight assists and eight rebounds. Portland Trail Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, a late addition to the West's starting lineup, added 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting in just 18 minutes of work.
The Hawks' Kyle Korver scored 21 points on 7-for-13 shooting, with all of his makes and all but one of his misses coming from 3-point land, off the East's bench. Wall added 19 points, seven assists, three rebounds and two steals in 29 minutes. Carmelo Anthony, the lone representative of the New York Knicks and the de facto host of All-Star Weekend in New York, scored 14 points on 6-for-20 shooting in 30-plus minutes in what might be his final game of the season, as he weighs shutting down to get surgery on his sore left knee.
2015 NBA All-Star Game coverage from Yahoo Sports:
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!
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