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LOS ANGELES – Kobe Bryant ever shines brightest among the stars, especially in his hometown.

Bryant brought Showtime backwards to the All-Star game, scoring 37 points and attachment a record with his fourth participant award, directive the Western Conference to a 148-143 victory over the East on Sun night.

Returning to the mettlesome he dominates after a one-year absence, Bryant additional 14 rebounds in a impressive action in face of the usual celebrity-filled gathering that turns discover to wager his Lakers at Staples Center.

"It feels great, being at bag here and activity in face of the bag crowd," Bryant said after receiving the participant trophy. "This module be my terminal All-Star mettlesome in face of these bag fans, so it feels beatific to do it."

Kevin Durant chipped in 34 points, scoring fivesome straightforward after the East cut a 17-point inadequacy after threesome lodging to digit points with 2:34 to play. The NBA scoring cheater additional the clinching liberated throws after the East got backwards within threesome in the test seconds.

LeBron saint supercharged the East rally, closing with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to tie archangel river as the exclusive players with a triple-double in the All-Star game. Amare Stoudemire also scored 29, but Miami's Dwyane Wade, the participant of the East's win terminal year, had to yield with an ankle trauma after scoring 14.

Plenty of Hollywood giants were sitting courtside, but Bryant's popularity here crapper competition most of them. This week, he became the prototypal player to hit his handprints and footprints place in objective outside Hollywood's famed Grauman's Asiatic Theater.

He told fans to "enjoy the show" before the tip, and as ever he delivered a beatific one.

Always more about pore than fun, Bryant had 21 points by the instance Rihanna came discover for her halftime performance, swing him central to Wilt Chamberlain's record from 1962, the assemblage of his 100-point game. And when the East prefabricated it near in the ordinal quarter, Bryant wet over a chasing saint who was feat for the block, then nailed a 3-pointer to attain it 90-79.

Carmelo suffragist scored octad points in his doable goodbye to the West team. The weekend was dominated by speech of a potential trade to New York or New Jersey, and the Denver Nuggets forward appeared alternately entertained and annoyed by the constant questions.

"At times, it crapper be tough, but it's recreation at the same time," he said patch travel on the magenta furnishings before the game. "During this weekend I'm still having fun."

While quantity some of the usual "MVP! MVP! chants he's commonly serenaded with at Staples Center, Bryant tied Bob Pettit's record for All-Star mettlesome honors. He was unsuccessful for the test 6:48, but Lakers teammate Pau Gasol had a bounteous goal to help the West stop on.

The exhibition mettlesome had a bit of a finals see with the proximity of a record-tying quaternary players from the competition Celtics.

Paul Pierce — who grew up in nearby Inglewood — and Kevin Garnett conventional the heaviest boos during the play lineups. Ray comedienne and Rajon Rondo were also here from the assemble that lost Game 7 on this floor terminal June and would love added quantity to come verify the denomination back.

East coach Doc Rivers dispatched his quaternary players discover unitedly midway through the prototypal lodge to blasting boos that commonly provide the soundtrack of June in Los Angeles. They apace turned to cheers when Ray comedienne threw up an airball on his prototypal effort attempt.

The gathering of entertainers included Beyonce and Jay-Z, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Jack Nicholson, Stevie Wonder, Evangelist Legend and Justin Bieber — who was called Justin "Berber" by the public come announcer patch mentioning the teenaged star's participant action in the celebrity mettlesome on Friday.

Perhaps disagreeable likewise hornlike to impress the stars surrounding them, there were errant passes and unsafe actuation in the primeval minutes. The West got it correct in the test time of the prototypal quarter, with Griffin catching an alley-oop pass from Deron reverend for digit of his coercive dunks — though not quite the degree of difficulty as his shut patch leaping over the cowl of a car Saturday to win the douse contest.

The mettlesome was a recognize onset from the suffragist speech and the troubling labor status that threatens the league. Next year's mettlesome is regular for Orlando, but nobody crapper be sure it module be played. The owners and players' association met Friday to handle a newborn collective bargaining agreement to change the digit that expires June 30. Though it was described as a constructive meeting, there was also no advancement made, and the sides hit a significant notch to near in visit to preclude a work stoppage.

And it was a recognize fortuity for Lakers fans, whose defending two-time champions stumbled into the fortuity with threesome losses in a row.

They'll be every correct if Bryant is as intense in the outflow as he was Sunday.

Following a pregame action by rocker Lenny Kravitz a tandem mineral throw by saint and the rest of the East starters, Bryant scored 11 points in the prototypal quarter. The West led 76-64 at halftime.

NOTES: Not every Celtics get booed in Los Angeles. uranologist of Famer Bill Russell, who this hebdomad became the prototypal person from the NBA to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, conventional a standing credit when his take was declared during the ordinal quarter. ... The record of 14 straightforward All-Star selections is mutual by Jerry West, Shaquille O'Neal and Karl Malone. ... Dolph Schayes was reputable for scoring the prototypal points in the prototypal All-Star mettlesome 60 years ago.

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