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East bests West 122-120 in 55th NBA All-Star
(AP)
Updated: 2006-02-20 13:42
HOUSTON - A push from the Detroit Pistons, an MVP performance by LeBron James
and a putback by Dwyane Wade decided an NBA All-Star game that went down to the
final seconds.
Eastern Conference forward LeBron James (L)
blows past Western Conference forward Tracy McGrady for a lay-up during
second half action at the 55th NBA All-Star Game in Houston, Texas,
February 19, 2006. [Reuters] | Trailing by 21
points, the East rallied for a 122-120 victory Sunday night behind King James
and the Pistons' Fab Four.
With the score tied, Allen Iverson was off-target on a jumper, but Wade
darted into the lane for the rebound and the go-ahead basket with 16 seconds
left.
Still, the East didn't wrap it up until hometown hero Tracy McGrady of the
Houston Rockets missed a jumper with the clock ticking down. Kobe Bryant then
had the ball slip out of his hands for a turnover, and it hardly mattered that
Vince Carter missed a breakaway dunk on the other end just before the buzzer.
McGrady led all players with 36 points. The 21-year-old James, in his second
midseason showcase, scored 29 and became the youngest All-Star MVP.
"It was more impressive that we came from, at one point, 21 points down and
willed ourselves to a win," James said.
Detroit teammates Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace and Richard
Hamilton, all selected as reserves from the team with the league's best record,
came off the bench together to help the East rally.
"I talked to the guys at halftime and basically said that we were not as
competitive," said East coach Flip Saunders of the Pistons. "I thought that the
second half they played exceptionally well. In these type of games, it takes a
lot of time to get used to playing with guys. Every guy did something in a very
positive way."
The West took a 74-53 lead 2 minutes into the third quarter. But the East
responded with a 28-13 run over the next 6 minutes as James scored 13 points.
The East grabbed a 117-107 lead with 3:29 to go. The West made it 120-all on
Bryant's fadeaway jumper with 32 seconds remaining.
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