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NBA All-Star Game Highlights

 

LeBron James scored 29 points on Sunday, assisting the East’s come back from a 21-point deficit and defeating the West 122-120 in the 2006 All-Star Game in Houston.

The first quarter ended with the score tied at 28, with players from the Detroit  Pistons holding back, preparing to shine towards the end of the game, except for Rasheed Wallace who attempted to wow the crowd with a 3-pointer, left-handed that grazed the rim.

The starting roster for the EAST included Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Vince Carter and Shaquille O’Neal. The Reserves for the EAST included Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Chris Bosh, Gilbert Arenas, Paul Pierce, Rasheed Wallace, and Ben Wallace.

Starters for the WEST included Steve Nash ,Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Tim Duncan, Yao Ming  West Reserves Ray Allen, Tony Parker, Elton Brand, Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol, Shawn Marion, and Dirk Nowitzki.  The reserves included Ray Allen, Tony Parker, Elton Brand, Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol, Shawn Marion, and Dirk Nowitzki.

McGrady scored the first four points of the second half and was up to 26 points by the time he went to the bench with 6:19 left in the quarter. 

Vince Carter converted an “alley-oop dunk” off a pass from past Toronto teammate Chris Bosh early in the second quarter, creating some stimulation into a surprisingly unexciting game.

Wade kept the EAST within striking distance showing his peers and the all star audience a combination of dunks, assists, and steals. 

By scoring 13 points in the first six minutes of the period James helped lessen the West lead over the EAST.

The defensive highlight of the quarter was Ben Wallace’s work against first-time All-Star Pau Gasol late in the quarter, blocking two of the Spaniard’s shots on one possession which created a rare All-Star Game occurrence-a 24-second violation.

One highlight of the game was a missed dunk by Carter that bounced so hard off the back rim that it landed at the opposite 3-point line.

The West closed the second quarter with a 70-53 halftime lead, McGrady leading all scorers with 17 points on 8-for-12 shooting.

The West’s lead was down to 97-94 at the end of the third quarter, and a three-point play by Billups 6 seconds into the final quarter produced the first tie since early in the second quarter. 

James was the main offensive star for the winner and the MVP but, the character of the game was changed by the defensive strength shown by the four members of the Pistons after they checked into the game late in the third quarter.  Chauncey Billups with 18.9 ppg Rasheed Wallace with 15.4 ppg, Ben Wallace with 7.8 ppg, and Richard Hamilton with 21.6 ppg.

The defensive strength of the Pistons’ All-Stars put the East ahead, and O’Neal added another bright moment midway through the final quarter when he dunked with two hands, showing his skill for the cameras. 

The East took the lead with a score of 117-107 with 3:29 to go. The West made it 120-all with Bryant scoring in the last 32 seconds.

That set up the final sequence. After McGrady missed, Bryant lost the ball and Rasheed Wallace grabbed it with 5 seconds left leaving the final score West 122-120.