Kobe Bryant upstaged Allen Iverson and received a rude reception from the Philadelphia crowd.
Bryant, a native of the Philadelphia area, scored 31 points -- many amid a steady chorus of boos -- to lead the Western Conference to an easy 135-120 victory over the Eastern Conference in the 51st NBA All-Star Game.
The game was supposed to be a showcase for Iverson, Philadelphia's star guard. But despite wearing Julius Erving's retired No. 6, Iverson was held to five points in his own building and never supplied the electricity that he did last season, when he won MVP honors.
Bryant became the first player since Michael Jordan in 1993 to score 30 points in an All-Star Game. In the second half, he also became the target of bitter fans who remember Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers beating the 76ers in the NBA Finals last season.
The city that once booed Santa Claus unleashed on Bryant in the second half, serenading him every time he touched the ball. The postgame ceremony in which NBA Commissioner David Stern awarded Bryant the MVP award was drowned out by the crowd.
"I was pretty upset, pretty hurt," Bryant said.
"I think it's a compliment, to be honest with you," West coach Don Nelson of Dallas said.
Bryant, from nearby Lower Merion, has been dealing with this sort of treatment for awhile.
"My rookie year, I came out of high school, my first game here, they booed me a little bit, too," he said. "And that really, really hurt, because it was like my homecoming. ... That was very, very hurtful."
Bryant put a hurt on the East, which had won four of the last five All-Star Games. After passing up a potential winning shot in last year's game, Bryant didn't pass up much in this one. He was 12-of-25 from the field and extremely aggressive at the offensive end.
"I'm happy I played well," Bryant said. "I'm happy to win MVP in Philadelphia, and the booing was just hurtful. But it's not going to ruin this day for me."
"What an incredible performance he put on," Nelson said. "He was a step ahead of the best in the league, and you could see it. That's hard to do, because there were some great, great players out there."
One of them was Seattle guard Gary Payton, who scored 18 points for the West. He was part of a 3-point barrage in the fourth quarter that told the East there would be no miracle comeback this year.
The West made 13-of-30 shots from the arc, setting marks for both categories. In the final period, it made seven, including four in a row after the East reduced a 24-point deficit to 100-90 with 9:07 to go.
Iverson, who had scored 51 points in his first two All-Star Games, was remarkably quiet in this one. He came out passing and never got his breakneck offense untracked, making just 2-of-9 shots.
Michael Jordan returned to the All-Star stage and had some moments early on, but missed a breakaway dunk late in the first quarter.
"I laugh at myself," Jordan said. "If I can't laugh at myself, I can't laugh at anybody."
All five East starters were stuck in single digits. Its best player was Orlando swingman Tracy McGrady, who scored 24 points off the bench and had one of the best dunks in All-Star history in the second quarter.
"I remember when I used to be like that," Jordan said. "It's truly a great thing to see."
| SCORE BY PERIOD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
| West | 32 | 40 | 28 | 35 | 135 | Final |
| East | 24 | 31 | 22 | 43 | 120 |
| WEST | REBOUNDS | |||||||||||||
| PLAYER | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | OFF | DEF | TOT | AST | PF | ST | TO | BS | PTS | |
| Garnett | 24 | 7-15 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 14 | |
| Webber | 20 | 3-7 | 0-0 | 1-4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8 | |
| Duncan | 29 | 7-11 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 14 | |
| Bryant | 30 | 12-25 | 0-0 | 7-7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 31 | |
| Francis | 18 | 1-8 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| Nash | 24 | 3-9 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
| Nowitzki | 24 | 5-11 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | |
| Payton | 22 | 7-13 | 4-6 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 18 | |
| Brand | 19 | 3-5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | |
| Stojakovic | 18 | 4-10 | 3-5 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | |
| Szczerbiak | 12 | 4-6 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| TOTAL | 240 | 56-120 | 13-30 | 10-14 | 27 | 36 | 63 | 39 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 3 | 135 | |
| Team Rebs: 9 | Total TO: 15 | |||||||||||||
| EAST | REBOUNDS | |||||||||||||
| PLAYER | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | OFF | DEF | TOT | AST | PF | ST | TO | BS | PTS | |
| Jordan | 22 | 4-13 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | |
| Walker | 16 | 0-0 | 3-8 | 2-4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8 | |
| Mutombo | 21 | 3-5 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | |
| Iverson | 25 | 2-9 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | |
| Kidd | 18 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| Allen | 25 | 6-17 | 3-10 | 0-0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 15 | |
| Pierce | 23 | 9-18 | 1-6 | 0-0 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | |
| McGrady | 23 | 9-15 | 2-4 | 4-4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 24 | |
| Abdur-Rahim | 21 | 4-4 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | |
| O'Neal | 17 | 3-4 | 2-5 | 0-0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| Mourning | 16 | 6-7 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13 | |
| Davis | 13 | 1-5 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | |
| TOTAL | 240 | 50-108 | 9-29 | 11-13 | 15 | 36 | 51 | 29 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 3 | 120 | |
| Team Rebs: 5 | Total TO: 15 | |||||||||||||
| Officials | Bennett Salvatore, Derrick Stafford, Jess Kersey |
| Location | First Union Center (Philadlephia, PA) |
| Attendance | 19,581 |
All-Star Saturday Video:
Complete unedited coverage of the Rookie Challenge, Slam-Dunk, 3-point
shootout and 3 on 3 contest events.
Slam Dunk participants:
| Jason Richardson (winner) |
| Gerald Wallace |
| Desmond Mason |
| Steve Francis |
3-point Shootout participants:
| Wesley Person |
| Peja Stojakovic (winner) |
| Steve Nash |
| Quentin Richardson |
| Ray Allen |
| Mike Miller |
| Paul Pierce |
| Steve Smith |
Rookie Challenge:
This wasn't the trophy Jason Richardson scored 26 points and made Mike Miller eat his words as the Rookies defeated the Sophomores, 103-97, in the 'got milk?' Rookie Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend on Saturday.
Richardson made 11-of-18 shots and was named Most Valuable Player. The athletic guard of the Golden State Warriors played 22 minutes and was very active but said he had plenty left for the NBA.com Slam Dunk Presented by RealOne ... which he won a few hours later.
"I got a good night's rest last night," Richardson said. "I still think I'll have some energy to go back and rest a little bit and get the fans excited for tonight."
Richardson showed he is much more than a leaper. He had a handful of rim-rattling dunks but also showed a nice touch from the perimeter.
Early in the second half, Richardson had back-to-back 3-pointers and a long jumper. He capped his spectacular game with a reverse follow dunk that gave the Rookies a 98-92 lead with 1:20 remaining.
Richardson posted the third-highest point total in the eight-year history of the game, which now pits first-year players against second-year players. Only Kobe Bryant, with 31 in 1997, and Wally Szczerbiak, with 27 last year, have scored more.
At practice on Friday, Miller said the Sophomores would win 130-100. The swingman of the Orlando Magic made just 1-of-7 shots and became a two-time loser in this event, having lost as a rookie last year.
"We just kept quiet and knew what we were going to do today," said Richardson. "I wanted to beat those guys so bad."
"You knew they were going to come with it and we were going to come with it," Miller said. "We just waited too long to turn it on. You have to give credit to them, they played."
Shane Battier of the Memphis Grizzlies scored 15 points and Zeljko Rebraca of the Detroit Pistons added 14 and nine rebounds for the Rookies, who shot 55 percent (45-of-82), picking up the pace in the second half.
"I was impressed with -- I can't pronounce his name, from Detroit," Richardson said. "I haven't watched him play that much, but he's a pretty good ballplayer."
Quentin Richardson scored 22 points and Los Angeles Clippers teammate Darius Miles added 20 for the Sophomores, who shot just 45 percent (44-of-97) and played more to the crowd than to win.
With 12:24 left, Jason Richardson came off a screen and threw down a one-hand hammer dunk over Cleveland 7-footer Chris Mihm that brought oohs from the laid-back First Union Center crowd and gave the Rookies the lead for good at 72-71. He added a 360 dunk off a fast break just over a minute later.
"That's a preview of later," Jason Richardson said.
Battier took over from there, making four mid-range jumpers over the next five minutes to help extend the lead to 92-81 with 5:22 left.
Jason Richardson scored 11 points in the first half but was outdone by Quentin Richardson, who scored 21 points -- many off offensive rebounds.
When Quentin Richardson took a seat, Miles took over. The 6-10 forward played point guard and did rather well, throwing a lob that defending Slam Dunk champion Desmond Mason could not put home, flipping in a dipsy-doo finger roll and going behind the back with a dribble before whipping a behind-the-back pass to Sacramento's Hedo Turkoglu for a layup and a 37-36 lead.
Of course, Quentin Richardson and Miles flashed their trademark "noggin knock" after nearly every basket.
The Rookies went to halftime trailing 58-51, but not before Jason Richardson threw down a vicious rock-the-baby dunk in the last minute.
Boston's Joe Johnson and Brendan Haywood scored 12 points apiece for the Rookies.
New Jersey's Kenyon Martin scored 17 points and Chicago's Marcus Fizer grabbed 14 rebounds for the Sophomores, who held a 54-39 edge on the glass.
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Rookies
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| REBOUNDS | ||||||||||||||
| PLAYER | POS | MIN | FGM-A | 3GM-A | FTM-A | OFF | DEF | TOT | AST | PF | ST | TO | BS | PTS |
| JASON RICHARDSON | G | 22 | 11-18 | 3-5 | 1-2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
| JAMAAL TINSLEY | G | 18 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| PAU GASOL | F | 27 | 4-9 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| SHANE BATTIER | F | 23 | 7-11 | 0-1 | 1-2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 15 |
| BRENDAN HAYWOOD | C | 26 | 5-6 | 0-0 | 2-4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 12 |
| Zeljko Rebraca | 27 | 7-10 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | |
| Tony Parker | 21 | 3-9 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | |
| Joe Johnson | 21 | 4-13 | 2-4 | 2-4 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 12 | |
| Andrei Kirilenko | 15 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0-3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | |
| TOTAL | 200 | 45-82 | 5-12 | 8-17 | 11 | 28 | 39 | 31 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 3 | 103 | |
| 54.9% | 41.7% | 47.1% | Team Rebs: 7 | Total TO: 15 | ||||||||||
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Sophomores
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| REBOUNDS | ||||||||||||||
| PLAYER | POS | MIN | FGM-A | 3GM-A | FTM-A | OFF | DEF | TOT | AST | PF | ST | TO | BS | PTS |
| QUENTIN RICHARDSON | G | 26 | 10-22 | 1-5 | 1-2 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| MIKE MILLER | G | 24 | 3-10 | 1-7 | 0-0 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| KENYON MARTIN | F | 25 | 7-14 | 2-3 | 1-2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 17 |
| LEE NAILON | F | 20 | 4-8 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| CHRIS MIHM | C | 19 | 3-7 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| Marcus Fizer | 25 | 2-9 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| Darius Miles | 23 | 9-11 | 0-0 | 2-4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 20 | |
| Desmond Mason | 19 | 3-7 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| Hedo Turkoglu | 19 | 3-9 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | |
| TOTAL | 200 | 44-97 | 5-21 | 4-8 | 26 | 28 | 54 | 23 | 12 | 13 | 19 | 5 | 97 | |
| 45.4% | 23.8% | 50.0% | Team Rebs: 3 | Total TO: 19 | ||||||||||
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