Recap and Analysis from the 2012 NBA All-Star Game

The West prevailed over the East in the 2012 All-Star Game by a score of 152-149, in a contest that went down to the final buzzer.

The West put up an All-Star record 88 points in the first half, taking a 19-point lead into halftime. Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Russell Westbrook proved to be too much for the East to handle, and it seemed as if the West would run away with it in the second half.

LeBron James had other plans, though. He made three straight three-pointers and led the East to back within seven, nearing the end of the third quarter.

James started the fourth quarter on the bench, and the West opened their lead back up to 20 rather quickly. Once he re-entered the game though, it got interesting.

The East went on an 18-4 run and once again found itself within striking distance. Behind the play of Dwyane Wade and James, the East brought themselves within one.

However, Wade could not handle a pass in transition that should have resulted in an easy two, and the East's first lead of the game. The ball went out of bounds and the East was forced to foul Kobe Bryant.

Bryant hit one of two free throws, and the East advanced the ball with just over 18 seconds left to play. 

After Deron Williams missed a three, the East came up with the offensive rebound, but James proceeded to throw the ball right into Blake Griffin's hands. Griffin hit one of two free throws as well to give the West a 152-149 lead with just over a second remaining.

Wade missed a fall away three at the buzzer, and the West walked away the victor of the 61st NBA All-Star Game.

Grades for Eastern Conference's Key Players

LeBron James: A-

James dropped 36 points, including six three-pointers, seven assists and six rebounds to give the East a fighting chance. He almost single-handedly led third and fourth quarter surges to put the East back in the game, and render the contest a competitive on.

However, James also had four turnovers, the last of which proved extremely costly. And while his folly will provoke further jokes about his apparent ineptitude during crunch time, his positive impact on the game was undeniable.

Dwyane Wade: A-

It's hard to penalize a guy at all who puts up a triple-double under any set of circumstances, let alone an All-Star game. Wade posted 24 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds while shooting an incredible 11 of 15 from the field. He created for his teammates and hit a few clutch shots down the stretch.

That said, he turned the ball over in transition when he was positioned to give the East a lead. Even so, had James not had the type of run he did late in the game, Wade easily would have been the East's most valuable player.

Carmelo Anthony: B

Anthony had 19 points on seven of 15 shooting to go along with nine rebounds and two steals. He took higher percentage shots than we are used to seeing, but still could not resist putting up the unwarranted attempt every once in awhile.

Known for his clutch shooting, Anthony missed a three-point attempt in the closing minutes that would have tied the game. And while he had no turnovers, he did bobble a few passes that would have resulted in easy buckets.

Grades for Western Conference's Key Players

Kevin Durant: A

Durant posted 36 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals en route to his first All-Star MVP award. He spent over 37 minutes on the floor, the most for any player on both teams, and never failed to hit a shot when the West needed it most.

He went point for point with James and continued to build upon his already impressive résumé. The hardware he received was well-deserved, as the West would not have been able to win without him.

Kobe Bryant: A-

Bryant scored 27 points as he surpassed Michael Jordan as the All-Star game's all-time leading scorer. He shot a stellar 9-17 from the field while also playing some great defense at times, a rarity in the All-Star game. Bryant's greatest fault, though, was his inability to get his teammates involved.

In almost 35 minutes of action, and playing alongside some of the league's best, he tallied only one assist. His record-breaking performance was impressive, but could have been even more memorable had he been a better facilitator.

Russell Westbrook: A-

Russell Westbrook unexpectedly stole a large part of the show with his performance. In his second ever All-Star game, Westbrook posted 21 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. He shot an impressive 10 of 17 from the field and added a number of prolific dunks to his name.

Most notably though, in over 27 minutes of action, he committed only one turnover. Ball-control has been his Achilles heal thus far, and it was refreshing to see him protect it against the best in the league. And had there been an award for sixth man of the game, Westbrook would have easily took it home.

All-Star Wrap-up

The 2012 NBA All-Star game was laden with broken records and first time achievements, in addition to being one of the more competitive exhibitions we have seen over the years.

From James' ability to take over the game, to Wade's hard foul on Bryant, to Durant's first All-Star MVP award, this game had it all.

In the end, the West prevailed, yet both sides left little to be desired.

Except, perhaps, anticipation for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game.

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