2008 NBA ALL STAR WEEKEND

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MVP Lebron James.

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East wins 134 - 128.

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http://www.nba.com/games/20080217/ESTWST/boxscore.html

[ajaX82]

lol at all Sheeds shot attempts being 3's

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http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... 70339/1127

Ray Allen scored 28 points, making three straight 3-pointers in the final 3:15, and LeBron James added 27 as the East, widely considered the NBA's weaker half, beat the Western Conference 134-128 in Sunday night's All-Star Game.

Last year, the West humiliated the East in a 153-132 rout in Las Vegas when Kobe Bryant and Co. rewrote the event's record books. However, this time led by Allen's 14 fourth-quarter points and a stunning dunk by James with 55 seconds left, the East salvaged some pride and can return to the season's second half with bragging rights.

James, who added nine assists and eight rebounds, was the MVP for the second time in three years. He also won the honor in 2006.

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http://info.detnews.com/redesign/blogs/ ... logid=1196

Don't you just love the way Rasheed Wallace was dancing as he was introduced before the All-Star Game? For someone who didn't want to be there, at least he was enjoying himself. He always cracks me up before Pistons games when he's in the middle of his teammates dancing around and getting crazy before games. Meanwhile, Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups were a little more subdued than their teammate.

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http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... 80337/1127

In a proud city still restoring its unique beauty, the Eastern Conference repaired its own image.

Amare Stoudemire, Brandon Roy and Carmelo Anthony scored 18 points each to lead the West, which trailed by 13 entering the fourth quarter and rallied behind Chris Paul of the Hornets. The guard's seventh assist of the final quarter set up Roy's layup to give the West a 122-119 lead.

The East came out flying, getting seven dunks and a layup in the first five minutes to take an early 11-point lead before the West awakened. Paul and Hornets teammate David West sparked the West, which cut it to two before James, Jason Kidd and Dwight Howard, whose Superman routine won him Saturday's dunk contest, put on a passing display like they were playing pickup ball in the schoolyard.

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http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... 80337/1127

The three Pistons on the Eastern Conference team, Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton, each played 18 minutes. Their numbers:

Player Pts. Reb. Ast.
Wallace 3 5 0
Billups 6 1 4
Hamilton 9 0 2

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http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... 80382/1127

The mammoth images of the All-Stars are impressive and imposing, yet somehow seem incomplete. A very big someone, is absent from the montage -- Shaquille O'Neal of the Phoenix Suns. For the first time since announcing his arrival in the league as a rookie by tearing down two backboards, O'Neal isn't an All-Star. His streak of a record-tying 14 straight selections was halted by an injury-filled first half. "We miss him," Denver's Carmelo Anthony said. "He's our godfather. It don't feel right without having him here."

Although he's been seen around the Big Easy, hosting a celebrity-studded party with Saints running back Reggie Bush the other night, O'Neal has kept a low profile -- for him -- during this weekend's festivities. However, O'Neal's presence looms. During Friday's media availability, All-Stars from both conferences talked about O'Neal's absence, his historic impact, and how despite being in the winter of his playing career he could still carry a team to a title.

And yet what many players focused on was Shaq's indomitable personality. How he lights up a room or arena wherever he goes. He may be the most loved player of his generation, and once he leaves the game, he will leave a big hole. When that day arrives, Allen Iverson was asked who might be able to replace him. "I don't think nobody can fill those shoes," Iverson said, laughing when he realized he meant that both literally and figuratively. "Those are some big shoes." Iverson feels O'Neal is as irreplaceable as a stolen Picasso. "Everybody wants to play with Shaq," he said. "Everybody wants to be around Shaq."

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http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... 18003/1051

The East played to win Sunday, led most of the game and beat the Western Conference, 134-128, capping an eventful weekend with an exciting game.

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http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... 80353/1051

Should the Eastern Conference play out the way it has -- with Boston assuming the top seed in the playoffs and the Pistons right behind them -- Detroit would miss home-court advantage throughout the Eastern playoffs for the first time since 2004-05.

But with the way the Pistons have played on the road -- third-best in the league at 18-9 -- that might not be such a bad thing, at least in the eyes of captain Chauncey Billups. "Home court is something -- and it's so crazy to say this -- but it's something we've had the last few years and not been good with," Billups said. "But our team is a team that relies on challenges. We've seen so much together that when we're supposed to win these two quick games and it's over, those are the games we have the most difficult time in."

Case in point would be last season. The Pistons lost Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals to the visiting Bulls, forcing them to wrap up the series two days later in Chicago. Then came Cleveland in the conference finals. The Pistons won the series' first two games at home before losing the next four, including Game 5 at home. Then there's the 2005-06 postseason, when the Pistons lost Game 1 of the conference finals to the visiting Heat. Miami beat the Pistons in six games. Billups said the Pistons relish playing on the road."I think we're a better road team because you have 20,000 (fans) rooting against you, and that's what we hang our hat on, upsetting 20,000 people," he said. "Do I want to get home court? I just want to be playing my best ball, personally. As a team, I just want us to be playing our best ball when the playoffs start. I don't care where we play at, I feel like we could be good and we have a chance."

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http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... 18002/1051

Among those spotted at Sunday's All-Star Game: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alyssa Milano, Gabrielle Union, Chris Rock, Corbin Blue, Ludacris, Archie Manning and Terrell Owens.

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http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_8284248

In New Orleans as an all-star starter for the first time, Anthony said his favorite player is Bernard King, the former Washington and New York star. As for his politics, Anthony is backing presidential candidate Barack Obama. Anthony is promoting an iPod accessories company, mStation (www.mstation.com), in which he has invested. Orlando's Dwight Howard, he said, "is the next Shaq." And as for any possible slippage seen in 32-year-old Allen Iverson, he said: "Nope. You can put that in big caps."

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http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/wieme_blog_080218.html

The Dunk Contest

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http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/wieme_blog_080218.html

First off, what

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http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/ ... 34128.html

Led by James and Ray Allen, the Eastern Conference outplayed their more trumpeted counterparts from the Western Conference and avenged a year-old beating with a 134-128 win on Sunday night.

Allen scored 28 points, making three straight 3-pointers in the final 3:15 and James added 27, including a did-he-really-do-that? dunk in the last minute to lift the East, which is constantly fighting for respect against the West's heavy hitters.

Last year near the Las Vegas Strip, the West humiliated the East in a 153-132 rout when Bryant and Co. rewrote the event's record books. However, this time led by Allen's 14 fourth-quarter points and James, the East salvaged some pride and stole some bragging rights.

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http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/ ... gh_ge.html

For days preceding Rip Hamilton's entry into the 3-point shooting contest this past weekend, his Pistons teammates told him repeatedly to be careful about shooting with his foot on the line.

So what does he do? He shoots at least one with his foot on the line, which was among the many factors in his fifth-place finish in the contest. Wallace was among the many Pistons to help Hamilton this past week to prepare for the contest. "I was still with him, but of course I had to give him flack about it," Wallace said.

The winner was Toronto's Jason Kapono, who won the contest for the second year in a row."I told Rip, 'Jason Kapono, he won it, congrats to him,' " Wallace said. "But come that crunch time, I'd rather have him (Hamilton) than Kapono shooting that (3-ball). It's a whole different world then."

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http://blog.mlive.com/fullcourtpress/20 ... ee_in.html

For those of you who missed it over the weekend, Rasheed Wallace didn't contribute many points to the East's All-Star Game victory, but the three he did score were fairly unique.

Then there was Wallace, who decided he would have some fun when he attempted three left-handed three-pointers. He made one -- catching it on the run at the top of the key on a fast break. In one fluid motion, he drained the trey. "That was crazy, man," Wade said. "He shoots them all the time, and you know he can make it, but I've never seen it in a game. And that was a great percentage with his left hand."

Wallace said he told teammates he was planning to play some left-handed.