Record Crowd Inspires East To NBA All-Star Win

Sports News - February 15th, 2010 - Written By John Ritter

The NBA All-Star game hasn't been close in years, but with a record crowd on hand, boy, did it finally put on a good show.

Local hero Chris Bosh hit the game-winning free throws and the East avoided a desperation 3-ball from Carmelo Anthony to beat the West, 141-139, pushing the pre-game two-point spread, but more than covering the 270-point over/under in the NBA Odds at many online sportsbooks.

It was only the second time the game had been decided by less than five points since 1991.

Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade delivered a game-high 28 points and 11 assists and was named MVP in front of a crowd of over 108,000. The attendance shattered the previous record, which was set just a year ago in the NCAA Division I National Championship.

"To be able to perform in front of a crowd like that, I know that. I know I can do it, I've done it before," Wade said. "So just to be able to put on a show like that and to get the win, and to make key plays down the stretch was what I like."

LeBron James made a push to take the award like he had in 2006 and 2008, scoring 25 points, but he didn't stuff the stat box like Wade with only five rebounds and six assists. It was still one of the most memorable games in his career.

"To be in front of 108,000 fans, that was actually what it was, that was not a false number. You could look up in the stands, and there was not a seat open," LeBron James said. "To be part of history is something that you always wish and dream for."

It was like that for almost all the All-Stars. As much as the fans wanted to be there, it was the players who were left in awe underneath the largest video board around inside a packed football stadium.

The East led by as much as nine heading into the final quarter, and it looked like the favored team was bound to put it away in blowout fashion like it's opponents had done a year ago.

But the West got a good push from it's bench in the final minutes, and Chauncey Billups nailed a 15-foot fadeaway to tie it at 137 with 1:05 to go.

That's when the madness began. Deron Williams, who played high school by at Dallas-area The Colony High School, got caught up in the excitement in his first All-Star game and lost track of the score. So with 12 seconds left on the clock, he hacked Wade intentionally, sending him to the line to the dismay of his teammates.

Fans began booing because they wanted to see their hometown Mavericks on the winning end, and Dirk Nowitzki holding the MVP trophy. He had 22 points and four rebounds, but Anthony probably would've gotten it ahead of him with 27 and 10.

Two made free throws later, the West was left calling a timeout to draw a final play. It didn't need one, though, because Nowitzki drew a foul from Dwight Howard on a pump fake move just inside the arc.

With the game tied once again, the West inexplicably fouled again with five seconds left when Bosh made a strong move to the hoop along the baseline. This time, his foul shots stood when Anthony's contested three failed to even hit rim.

Bosh, also a Texas native, played the most minutes (29) of any reserve in the game. He told reporters earlier in the week of the frenzy created after learning he would be in the game and have to find tickets for friends in relatives. He didn't disappoint, carding 23 points and 10 rebounds, also the high among reserves.

The players shot reasonably well despite fighting nerves because of the venue. Although Joe Johnson explained on TNT, "it don't matter where you at. If you a shooter, you a shooter," others came out early for warm-ups just in case.

"It was unbelievable. Usually in All-Star Games, not everybody is going out to shoot and warm up, but if you looked an hour before the game, I think both teams, all players were almost out there shooting, because it's so different in a huge dome with the background," Nowitzki said. "And I thought for actually the size of this arena, both teams were shooting pretty well."

The East shot 57-percent from the field, and the West finished at 51-percent.

"It was unbelievable for us to be a part of a moment like this. I don't think we will ever be part of another game or situation like this, for both teams," Anthony said. "The lead got out of hand early in the third quarter, but we fought back and got the fans back into the game."