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 The Oklahoma City Thunder guard showed off his dazzling
athleticism with a series high-flying dunks, once slamming home an
alley-oop pass from Chris Paul with his head above the rim.
Having set a first half scoring record with 27 points in just over
11 minutes, Westbrook went on to hit 16 of 28 shots -- including
five three-pointers -- and added three steals as he was named the
game's MVP.
Westbrook came within one point of the All-Star record 42 points
scored by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962 and finished one point better
than Michael Jordan's 40 scored in the 1988 game.
"It's definitely an honor to be grouped with those two guys,
especially in an All-Star Game," said Westbrook. "We were just
trying to win the game and close it out."
 Leading the way for the East was four-time NBA most valuable player
LeBron James, who posted 30 points.
James praised the talented Westbrook.
"He's unbelievable," the Cleveland Cavaliers forward said. "He's an
unbelievable talent in our league. His motor, his athleticism, his
demeanor about how he approaches the game, it's all great. It's
great for our league."
Kyle Korver of the Atlanta Hawks added 21 points for the East
hitting 7-of-12 from three-point range, while James Harden matched
him from beyond the arc in scoring 29 for the winners.
The game made All-Star history right from the start as the Gasol
brothers lined up for the opening tap as the first siblings ever to
start the midseason classic.
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Pau Gasol of the Bulls won the tip from younger brother Marc of the
Grizzlies and the game was on.
"The opening tip was fun," West coach Steve Kerr said. "Just to see
them jumping against each other and to think about them growing up
in Spain.
"Whoever would have guessed that one day they would jump center at
the All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden. That was a special
moment."
With the players on both sides enjoying free-wheeling dashes up and
down the floor, turning floating feeds into thundering dunks, the
sides combined for 321 points, most ever in an NBA All-Star Game.
Besides bragging rights, the winning West team players pocketed
$50,000, double the amount taken away by the losers.
(Editing by Nick Mulvenney)
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