Kobe Bryant helps West defeat the East 148-143 in NBA All-Star game
On Sunday night, the Staples Centre in Los Angeles hosted a game that is considered by many as the pinnacle of the National Basketball Association (NBA) season.
A game featuring king-pins like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard from the Eastern Conference, pitched up against the best of the West including Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant had all the ingredients of a thriller; and it turned out
to be one.
The game which started with the West asserting all its dominance up front and leading by as many as 17 points at the culmination of the third quarter, finally found life in the dying minutes, as LeBron James initiated a vociferous comeback for the East.
The red hot shooting of the West though, proved to be little too hot to handle down the stretch, as the West edged past the East 148-143.
Kobe Bryant, the black mamba of the NBA, led the Western Conference stars with 37 points and 14 rebounds and won the prestigious All-Star MVP award. Bryant was lucky though that his team kept its nerve in the last ditch moments as he overshadowed a triple-double
night from James.
James, who inspired the East with his hustle and leadership throughout the night, finished with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Amare’ Stoudemire also had 29 points while Dwyane Wade had 14 points on a 6-of-9 shooting. Wade was in his groove, but
had to leave early in the third quarter when Deron Williams inadvertently undercut his right ankle.
For the West, Kevin Durant had 34 points and Pau Gasol had 17, including a crucial tip-in in the last minute.
Amare’ Stoudemire got the East off to an emphatic start. They were caught in the glitz of the momentous occasion though, attempting far too many fancy shots as the West started to take over.
Bryant and Durant showed the league what they could do when they combined, as they simply tore the East defence apart. The duo marshalled the West to an early 21-6 spurt as the West sprinted to a 21-10 lead. Nowitzki joined the fun soon and the West headed
into the second quarter leading by 37-27.
Shooting at more than 65 percent in the first quarter, the West continued their form into the second. Russell Westbrook made the initial impact in the frame with eight points. Durant and Bryant then combined again as they propelled the West to a 76-64 lead
by half time.
Things got from bad to worse for the East in the third, as they complemented the sharp-shooting from the West with a spate of casual turnovers of their own, resulting in a 117-100 deficit at the end of the third.
James urged his team to lift their game in the break between the third and the fourth quarter. When they didn’t, he jumped on the court himself to lead the way. With his side trailing by 16 at the midway point of the frame, James kick started a resurgent
22-8 run and pulled the East to within two with a layup, with just over a minute left on the clock.
Bryant tried to can a jumper in the West’s next possession. However, his shot missed the mark, but Gasol made the crucial play as he pounced on an offensive rebound for a tip in. The team from the West didn’t look back after that as they held on to a 148-143
win.
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