NBA All-Star Game 2012: Kevin Durant Leads West Past East, 152-149

Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo were the only members of the Boston Celtics who participated in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida on Sunday night. Unfortunately, neither was particularly impressive during their limited minutes and the East was edged by the West, 152-149, in a thrilling finish.

Pierce, who was appearing in his 10th and quite possibly last All-Star game, finished with three points on a disappointing 1-of-8 shooting in 11 minutes. Pierce checked into the game for the first time at the 1:39 mark of the first quarter and missed his first shot, a three, off a pass from Rondo. Pierce scored his only basket on a corner trey with 8:14 left in the second quarter. Pierce also finished with two giveaways.

Rondo was slightly better, dishing out eight assists while only scoring two points on 1-of-3 shooting in 16 minutes. Rondo was tied for a game-high four turnovers but did have a highlight play when he fed Wade for an alley-oop in the second quarter.

Pierce and Rondo return to the Celtics, who return to action on Tuesday night against Rising Stars 2012 MVP Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night.

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

The worst case scenario for any team is to have your star play injured in an exhibition game. Alas, that was the case for the Los Angeles Lakers, who saw superstar guard Kobe Bryant suffer from a nasal fracture during the 2012 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night in Orlando, FL.

Bryant, who had 27 points and passed Michael Jordan for the most points in All-Star Game history, appeared to suffer the injury while driving to the basket midway through the third quarter on a hit from Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade. Bryant bled after the hit and complained of headaches after the game, requiring a CT scan which revealed the injury.

The L.A. Lakers first reported Bryant's injury on Twitter early Monday morning.

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

Kevin Durant was the brightest shining star in Orlando on Sunday night, amassing 36 points, seven rebounds and three steals to lead the West past the East in a thriller, 152-149, in the 61st edition of the NBA All-Star Game at the Amway Center. Durant, 23, is the youngest MVP in All-Star Game history and was six points shy of the all-time scoring high.

Durant's performance was impressive, without a doubt, but he wasn't the only one to have his name written in the record books. It seemed as if records were being broken left and right, with seemingly everyone sharing in the overall success. The 301 combined points is the most in All-Star Game history and the 88 points scored by the West in the opening half was the most ever. The two squads also combined to make a record 26 three-pointers.

Kobe Bryant etched his name further into the records, passing one Michael Jordan to move into first place on the all-time All-Star Game scoring list. Bryant had 27 points on 9-of-17 shooting in 35 minutes and now has 271 career points in the All-Star Game. Bryant passed Jordan on a breakaway dunk with 4:57 left in the third quarter. Jordan, now second on the all-star scoring list, had 262 points while Kareem Abdul-Jabaar had 251 points.

Durant and Bryant set the game ablaze in the early minutes, combining for 21 points in the opening eight minutes to propel the West to an early 32-34 lead by the 1:39 mark. The combined efforts of Durant and Bryant in the first half led to an astonishing 88-69 halftime lead, with Durant scoring 21 and Bryant pouring in 14 points in the first 24 minutes.

As expected, it wasn't over yet. LeBron James (36 points, seven assists, six rebounds) and Dwyane Wade (24 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) led a furious second-half comeback that saw the East nearly erase its 19-point halftime deficit and brought the team within one point, 148-147, after a layup from Deron Williams (20 points) with 1:40 remaining.

Bryant missed a 15-footer with 1:21 to go and Dwight Howard (nine points, 10 rebounds) grabbed the board and chucked the ball downcourt to a streaking Wade, who fumbled the ball out of bounds on what should have been an easy layup that would have given the East their first lead of the game.

Wade was able to get some redemption, grabbing an offensive board after a missed Carmelo Anthony (19 points) three after Blake Griffin's layup put the West ahead, 150-147, before being fouled by Russell Westbrook (21 points) with 22 ticks to go. Wade made both free throws and fouled Bryant with 18 seconds to play.

Bryant made the first free throw but surprisingly missed the second, leaving the West lead at 151-149 with 16 seconds remaining. After a timeout, the East went for the win, but Williams missed a 27-foot three at the eight second mark but got his own rebound before finding James, who coughed the ball up on a poor pass that was picked off by Griffin.

Griffin drained the second free throw after missing the first, giving the East one last chance to tie the game after a timeout. Wade, however, missed a desperation twisting three in the corner at the buzzer, sealing the West win.

Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo were the only two representatives for the Boston Celtics, and neither played well. Pierce finished with three points on 1-of-8 shooting in 11 minutes while Rondo had two points and eight assists in 16 minutes. Pierce was making his 10th All-Star appearance, which was the most of any East player who appeared in this year's game.

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

Kevin Durant was downright dominant, finishing with 36 points -- six points off the all-time record for points in an all-star game -- and seven rebounds, and he was rewarded for his efforts with the MVP Award of the 2012 NBA All-Star Game, which the West won 152-149 on Sunday night at the Amway Center in Orlando, FL. Durant, 23, is the youngest MVP.

Durant scored the majority of his points in the first half, leading all players with 21 points. Durant and Kobe Bryant paced the West out to a fast start, scoring 10 and 11 points with just under four minutes to play in the opening quarter. The West took an 88-69 lead at halftime, which set the mark for the most point scored in the first half of an all-star game. Despite a late push from the East, the West was able to hang on for the victory.

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

Kevin Durant fueled a record-breaking effort by the Western Conference, amassing 36 points, seven rebounds and three steals to lead the West past the Eastern Conference, 152-149, on Sunday night in the 61st annual NBA All-Star Game in Orlando, Florida.

LeBron James almost led a late East comeback, finishing with 36 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Dwyane Wade, who missed a desperation three at the buzzer, had 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, Deron Williams had 20 points and Carmelo Anthony scored 19.

Kobe Bryant scored 27 points, Blake Griffin had 22 points and eight boards, Russell Westbrook scored 21 and Kevin Love, winner of the Foot Locker Three Point Contest, finished with 17 points for the West.

Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo were the only two representatives of the Boston Celtics playing in the game, and unfortunately, neither had particularly impressive games. Pierce finished with three points on 1-of-8 shooting and had two rebounds in 11 minutes while Rondo had two points and eight assists in 16 minutes.

Pierce and Rondo will now return to the Celtics, who resume play against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night at TD Garden in Boston, MA. Boston was 15-17 in the first half of the season and is currently eighth in the Eastern Conference.

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

Caught up in the excitement of the 2012 NBA All Star Game that you forgot to watch the Halftime Show? Were Chris Brown's moves to much for you, and you had to slowly walk away? Well not to worry! Here's a full recording of the All-Star half game show featuring musical artists Pitbull (Florida's Own), Chris Brown and Ne-Yo

The halftime performance features Pitbull's hit singles "Give Me Everything feat. Ne-Yo", "Calle Ocho", "U Make Me Crazy", "Rain Over Me feat. Marc Anthony", "International Love feat. Chris Brown" as well as Chris Brown's newest "Turn Up The Music". You'll laugh at Chris Brown's interesting dance moves, you'll throw your remote because Pitbull didn't play your all time favorite "Bojangles" (oh, is that just me?), or you'll still be crying since the Eastern Conference is getting pounded. Either way, give it a watch! Video courtesy of @jose3030

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

The halftime show at the 2012 NBA All-Star Game sure was something. It's tough to figure out what, exactly, it was. We can probably check "good" off the list. "Bad" might be harsh too. Sad? Exhilarating? Banal? Geez, what's the word ...

... Ah, yes: Petrifying. Where I come from (Michigan) limbs don't move like that unless possessed by beings not of this world. Chris Brown managed to scare the bejeezus out of me, and look stylish doing so.

Look at that .gif again and this time concentrate on just his head. Stare at it for good minute, two if you're brave. If you get to sleep tonight ,you pass. Pit Bull also showed up to show us a real good time, but .gif-wise he wasn't nearly as fun:

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

The 2012 NBA All-Star Game has so far featured obscene levels of offense, even relative to low levels of defense played on a yearly basis. The Western Conference has so far put on the slightly better show, leading 88-69 at halftime. Both sides have had their share of highlights, however.

Starting in the Eastern Conference, where Andre Iguodala provided one of several monster jams on the night.

A little bit later, Steve Nash showed off some of his patented finesse in bounce pass to a teammate for the layup.

Finally, there's Russell Westbrook, who has 17 points so far in the game. Late in the half he found himself off the backboard for a difficult, twisting layup...

... and then celebrated by ... uh ... dancing?

I don't know man. The All-Star game is pretty weird.

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

And then there was offense. In typical fashion, both the Eastern and Western Conference put on an offensive show in the first half, but it was the West that played with more fire and took an 88-69 lead into halftime in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando, Florida.

Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant put on shows of their own in the first half, finishing with 21 points and 14 points respectively. Blake Griffin had 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting and Russell Westbrook scored 17 off the bench for the West, which shot a blistering 60.3 percent.

Dwyane Wade led the East with 14 points and seven assists and LeBron James had 13 points. Deron Williams scored 12 points and Carmelo Anthony was the fourth and final member of the East roster to reach double digits at halftime, scoring 10 points.

Paul Pierce (three points, 1-of-6 shooting, six minutes) and Rajon Rondo (scoreless, two assists, six minutes) were relatively ineffective in their minutes for the East.

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

So the Eastern Conference introductions at the 2012 All-Star Game were, uh, interesting. Nicki Minaj came out and performed a song with a backdrop of various Windows screensavers, capped by the anticlimax of Tom Thibodeau looking scornfully straight ahead as he is introduced to the crowd. Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo seemed only slightly more enthused to be there, though none of them come close to approaching the goofiness levels of Chris Bosh.

Then the starters came out of a Star Trek-esque hatch in the floor and, well, here you go:

(Via nbaus3030).

Even if you hate the All-Star game, just know that you never can, nor ever will approach Derrick Rose levels of disdain. If you love the All-Star game, well then you got your money's worth in the introduction, and then some.

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

The Boston Celtics roster has built around the "Big 3" the past few season, but just one player, veteran forward Paul Pierce, will represent the Celtics in the 2012 All-Star Game on Sunday (7:37 p.m. ET on TNT).

Pierce, who leads Boston with 17.7 points per game, and Rando, the Celtics best passer (9.5 assists per game) and defender (1.6 steals per game) will be two of the reserves playing behind Eastern Conference starters Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony.

Pierce is playing in his 10th All-Star Game, while Rondo is playing in his third.

If you're not sure who was named to the All-Star game rosters, well, here's a complete list for your reading pleasure.

Here is the Eastern Conference roster (*denotes starter):

Dwyane Wade, Heat*
LeBron James, Heat*
Derrick Rose, Bulls*
Dwight Howard, Magic*
Carmelo Anthony, Knicks*
Rajon Rondo, Celtics
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Andre Iguodala, 76ers
Deron Williams, Nets
Roy Hibbert, Pacers
Chris Bosh, Heat
Luol Deng, Bulls

Here is the Western Conference roster (*denotes starter):

Kobe Bryant, Lakers*
Chris Paul, Clippers*
Blake Griffin, Clippers*
Kevin Durant, Thunder*
Andrew Bynum, Lakers*
Russell Westbrook, Thunder
Steve Nash, Suns
LaMarcus Aldridge, Blazers
Kevin Love, Timberwolves
Marc Gasol, Grizzlies
Tony Parker, Spurs
Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

LeBron James leads the Eastern Conference into a battle with Kevin Durant and the Western Conference in the 61st annual NBA All-Star Game in Orlando, Florida.

Event: Eastern Conference Vs. Western Conference - 2012 NBA All-Star Game.

Date/Time: Sunday, February 26, 2012 - 7:30 p.m. EDT

Location: Amway Center (Capacity: 18,846), Orlando, Florida.

Broadcast Info: The 61st annual NBA All-Star game will be televised nationally and worldwide on TNT, with Marv Albert, Steve Kerr and Reggie Miller on the call. Kevin Harlan and Kenny Smith, who are also part of the TNT broadcast team, were part of the broadcast team that covered the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night.

Odds: The Eastern Conference is a three-point favorite in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game.

National Anthem Singers: Mary J. Blige (US Anthem); Neverest (Canadian Anthem).

Halftime Show Performers: Pitbull, Ne-Yo, Nayer.

Eastern Conference All Stars: Starters - Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard: Reserves - Chris Bosh, Luol Deng, Roy Hibbert, Andre Iguodala, Joe Johnson (injured), Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo (replaces Johnson), Deron Williams. Head Coach: Tom Thibodeau.

Western Conference All Stars: Starters - Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, Andrew Bynum. Reserves - LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol, Kevin Love, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Russell Westbrook. Head Coach: Scott Brooks.

NBA All-Star Game History: The Eastern Conference leads the all-time series against the Western Conference, owning a 36-24 record against the West in the All-Star Game. The first NBA All-Star Game was played in 1951 and held at the Boston Garden, with the East defeating the West, 111-94. Ed Macauley was the first ever NBA All-Star Game MVP. The East would win seven of the first ten All-Star Games. Since 2000, the West has won seven of 12 All-Star Games.

Last Year's All-Star Game: Despite being outscored 43-31 in the fourth quarter, the Western Conference escaped with a 149-143 win over the Eastern Conference at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Kobe Bryant was named the MVP of the game after scoring a game-high 37 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. LeBron James and Amar'e Stoudemire led the East with 29 points apiece and James also had a team-leading 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

Storyline: The 61st annual All-Star Game will have plenty of storylines, as all-star games usually do. This is the first time since 2003 that the All-Star Game is being played in an Eastern Conference city. For starters, Lob City will be taking part in the game, with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers both starting. The two of them, Griffin in particular, are practically made for all-star games.

Locally, there are two players to focus on, with both Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics coming of the bench for the East. Pierce is making his 10th career All-Star appearance, and this could be the final time Pierce takes part in an all-star game as he continues to age and his production wanes. Rondo is making his third appearance.

Players To Watch: All of them. They're All-Stars. But seriously, the two players who will likely steal the show are LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Arguably the best two players in the league, it will be fun to see the two athletic bigs go at it. Blake Griffin, of course, will be fun to watch, too. Also, never count out Kobe Bryant, the 14-time NBA All-Star.

Prediction: Well, we're definitely not going to be seeing a defensive battle. As usual, this will be a high scoring affair, and everything indicates that it will be a close game. A close 280 total point game. The East is slightly favored, but I think Kevin Durant is on a mission to prove his dominance and will win the MVP Award. Final Score: West 152, East 143.

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks made his appearance in the rookie-sophomore challenge, Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics was edged in the skills competition and Minnesota Timberwolves' forward Kevin Love pulled off the amazing upset in the 3-point shooting contest. But on Sunday, the real show begins when the 2012 NBA All-Star Game will actually be played.

Rondo along with Celtics veteran Paul Pierce will be two of the many representatives of the East squad during the All-Star Game, which will tipoff at approximately 7:37 p.m. ET.

If you'd like to catch all the action, well, you're in luck, as here's the game's basic viewing information: tipoff time, TV schedule and location.

Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Fla.

TV coverage start time: 6:30 p.m. ET

Channel: TNT

Tipoff time: 7:37 p.m. ET

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

The best of the best converge upon the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida on Sunday night as the Eastern Conference and Western Conference do battle in the 61st annual NBA All-Star Game, which tips off at 7:30 p.m. EDT (TNT).

As usual, there's a local flavor to the game as two members of the Boston Celtics will represent the East. Paul Pierce, captain of the Celtics, is making his conference-leading 10th All-Star appearance while Rajon Rondo is making his third. Both will be coming off the bench, as Pierce was voted in by coaches and Rondo is an injury replacement for Joe Johnson.

Of course, there are plenty of other stars. It is an all-star game, after all. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose make up the starting five for the East while Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and Andrew Bynum make up the West's starters.

Who has the upper hand? The East is favored by three points, but it's anyone's game.

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

Orlando, FL (Sports Network) - Utah Jazz forward Jeremy Evans received 29 percent of the fans' votes to win the 2012 NBA Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday.

This year's contest featured a new format. It consisted of just one round, with each dunker executing three dunks. The winner was chosen solely by fan vote, which opened after all four competitors completed their first dunk.

Evans replaced injured New York Knicks guard Iman Shumpert in the event and made the most of the opportunity.

His first dunk centered around a prop, but his second dunk was perhaps the highlight of the contest.

On his first attempt, Evans bounced the ball to himself and sent home a reverse slam while a small camera fixed to his right ear captured the action.

On Evans' second dunk, his prop was teammate Gordon Hayward, who sat in a chair facing away from the basket and tossed two balls high above his head. Evans soared over Hayward, caught both balls and slammed them home in succession to the delight of the crowd.

Prior to his third dunk, Evans was approached by comedian Kevin Hart. Dressed as a mailman, Hart delivered Evans a vintage Karl Malone jersey. Donning the apparel of the Utah Jazz legend, nicknamed "The Mailman," Evans then leapt over the diminutive Hart and finished with a slam.

Evans bested Houston Rockets forward Chase Budinger, Indiana Pacers guard Paul George and Minnesota Timberwolves forward Derrick Williams to win. All four contestants were first-time participants.

Budinger dunked over rap/business mogul Diddy on his first attempt and also sent home a blindfolded slam in an homage to Cedric Ceballos' similar dunk in the 1992 rendition of the contest.

George had a pair of impressive dunks. He began with a slam over two teammates -- 7-foot-2-inch center Roy Hibbert and guard Dahntay Jones. The pair stood in line facing the basket and George used Hibbert's shoulder as a boost to clear the tandem en route to the rim.

For his second slam, George brought down the lights in Amway Arena, then dunked with a glow-in-the-dark ball, headband and armband. His third slam came after several misses and saw him run and leap from one baseline, slap his hand on the backboard, then sail under the net and jam from the other side.

Williams made a spectacular entrance, riding on the back of a purple motorcycle guided by Timberwolves mascot Crunch, but his dunks did not follow suit.

First, he jumped over the bike and sent home a windmill dunk, then he caught a pass off the side of the backboard from teammate Ricky Rubio for a slam. On his third attempt, Williams settled for a pass to himself and a pedestrian dunk after missing several more difficult tries.

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

On Saturday night, Minnesota Timberwolves rookie forward Derrick Williams was one of four players to participate in the 2012 Sprite Slam Dunk contest at Amway Arena. Did you miss the rookie in action? Not to worry! We've got you covered:

Williams, Round One:

Williams, Round Two:

Williams, Round Three:

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

On Saturday night, Indiana Pacers guard Paul George was one of three contestants to take part in the 2012 Sprite Slam Dunk Competition. Even though he didn't win, George did make the highlight reel with some pretty nasty dunks. Check em' out below:

George, Round One:

George, Round Two:

George, Round Three

:

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

On Saturday night, Houston Rockets forward Chase Budinger was one of four NBA players to compete in the 2012 Sprite Slam Dunk challenge. While he started off well, Budinger was unable to keep pace with Jeremy Evans, who took home the crown. Here is a round-by-round video reel of Budinger's dunks.

Budinger, Round One:

(Check out this link for his first round dunk)

Budinger, Round Two:

Budinger, Round Three:

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

On Saturday night, Utah Jazz forward Jeremy Evans took home the crown as the 2012 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest champion. Here is video footage of Evans' three dunks that ultimately won the fans over.

Evans, Round One:

Evans, Round Two:

Evans, Round Three:

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

Kevin Love pulled off the unthinkable as he defeated Kevin Durant, 16-14, in a shootout to win the 2012 Foot Locker Three-Point contest. Here's how it all went down, round by round:

Heat point guard Mario Chalmers started us off with a pretty solid performance, with a total score of 18 points. Most impressively, he knocked down four of five money balls to take the early lead.

Timberwolves forward Love, the surprise contestant, matched Chalmers step for step, as he too ended up with 18 points and made three of five money balls. He really struggled from the right wing, but was able to make up ground on the final three racks from the left side of the court. The man many had already written off was now tied for the lead.

Nets swingman Anthony Morrow was up next, rocking an old-school Drazen Petrovic Nets jersey. Morrow would have likely been right up there with Chalmers and Love, but he took too much time in between shots and ultimately ran out of time on the final rack. Morrow ended up with 14 points, which was good enough for last place and an elimination from the event.

Thunder forward Kevin Durant stepped up, looking to redeem himself from his poor showing in last year's competition. Durant did just that, as he took the lead away from Chalmers and Love with 20 points in his first round.

Magic forward Ryan Anderson stepped in front of his hometown fans at the Amway Arena, looking to spark the home crowd after Team Orlando fell in the Haier Shooting Stars. Anderson didn't quite make the cut, as he ended up with 17 points, which eliminated him from contention

Durant's lead didn't last long though, as defending champion James Jones stepped in and claimed what was his, scoring 22 points. Jones made four of five money balls and had a perfect final rack and claimed the two-point lead.

Jones and Durant were both safe, but Chalmers and Love were both tied for the final spot in the three-man final lineup.

To break the tie, Chalmers and Love had to go head-to-head in order to determine the third finalist. With a shortened clock of 24 seconds, Chalmers only ended up with 4 points. Love, who wasn't that much better in the tiebreaker, had just enough to eliminate the Heat guard with 5 points.

Love started off the final round with a few bricks, but was able to pick up the pace and end up with a final score of 16 points. Love made his first three money balls, but missed his final two.

Durant started off pretty well, but fell into a bit of a funk and had to make the final moneyball in order to tie Love's 16 points in the final round.

With the title for the taking, James Jones couldn't finish the deed with a woeful 12 points. Therefore, the two Kevins would battle it out for the title.

In a shootout, the final score: Kevin Love 16, Kevin Durant 14. The big man out of UCLA pulled off the unthinkable and upset the natural-born jump shooter takes home the crown of three-point shootout champion.

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

Rajon Rondo represented the Boston Celtics well in the 2012 Tace Bell Skills Challenge at NBA All-Star Saturday Night in the Amway Center, making it to the final round before being eliminated by Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs, who finished the course in 32.8 seconds in the finals to claim the title.

Rondo opened the competition with a solid run, finishing the course in 32.8 seconds. He made the opening layup (really, when does anyone miss?) and the first chest pass, but missed on his first bounce pass before making the second. The jump shot, thought to be the toughest part for Rondo, only took two tries for him to knock down. Rondo made his first pass attempt on the second passing stage and finished with a layup on the other end.

Kyrie Irving was next, and it looked like he had no interest in being there. Irving, who was named the MVP of the Rising Stars game on Friday with 34 points on 8-of-8 shooting from three-point range, finished last in the round with 42.2 seconds. Deron Williams set the tone, finishing his first run in 28.3 seconds. Russell Westbrook finished in 33.8 seconds, Parker finished in 29.2 seconds and John Wall tied Rondo with 32.8 seconds.

Rondo and Wall faced off in a one-round playoff, in which Rondo posted his best time of the night at 27.5 seconds. Rondo was perfect in the round, making all of his passes and knocking down the jumper on his first try. Wall, meanwhile, struggled on the jump shots, going 1-for-4 and finishing in 45.4 seconds, sending Rondo to the finals.

It appeared as if fatigue may have caught up with Rondo, who led off the final round. Rondo made the opening layup and chest pass, but he missed his first three bounce passes. Despite making his first jumper, Rondo finished with his worst time at 34.6 seconds.

Parker eliminated Rondo in his final run, and Williams struggled to finish in 41.1 seconds.

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

Former New York Knicks star Allan Houston and Team New York defeated Team Texas in the final round to claim the 2012 NBA Haier Shooting Stars Title.

Team Texas led off the event with a bit of a rocky start. After both Chandler Parsons and Sophia Young struggled to make their long range jump shots, Kenny Smith was able to hit the halfcourt shot to give the the Lonestar team time of 42.7 seconds in the first round.

Team New York got off to a fast start from the field as Landry Fields, Cappie Pondexter and Allan Houston were able to roll through their early shots without ease. Houston ultimately ended it for New York as he nailed the half court prayer, giving team NYC a time of 38.7 seconds in the first round

The hometown faithful of Team Orlando stepped in front of the Amway Arena crowd and put up a pretty mediocre performance. After a relatively quick first cycle of shots, the tandem of Jameer Nelson, Marie Ferdinand-Harris an Dennis Scott struggled through the second cycle and ended up with a total time of 1:04. Ouch.

To cap off the first round of action was Team Atlanta, the defending champions of the event. The Joe Johnson-less Atlanta team of Jerry Stackhouse, Lindsey Harding and Steve Smith looked really awesome, until they got to the half court shot. With a lot of leeway time, Team Atlanta couldn't finish the deed, as they struggled with the half court shot and ended up with a time of just over 50 seconds, eliminating them from contention.

It ultimately came down to Team Texas and Team New York in the final round. After Parsons struggled with his three point field goals during the second cycle, Kenny Smith once again came through for Team Texas by nailing the first half court shot attempt to give Texas a time of 47.6. That was enough to win, right? Not on Team New York's watch.

After Team NYC got off to a great start, and had over 20 second of time to spare before Allan Houston sunk the half court shot, giving New York a final time of 37.3 seconds and the Haier Shooting Stars Title.

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation All-Star stream. For additional Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

On Saturday night, the highest fliers the NBA has to offer will be display as NBA All-Star weekend continues with the Sprite Slam Dunk competition at Amway Arena.

There are no Boston Celtics in this particular event, but fans should still brace for quite a show tonight. Tonight's lineup features no players with prior wins or appearances in the event, but features some of the most elusive young athletes the game has to offer. Knicks rookie guard Iman Shumpert, Timberwolves rookie forward Derrick Williams, Rockets forward Chase Budinger and Pacers swingman Paul George will battle it out in the most highly publicized event this weekend.

Since none of these players are household dunkers to many NBA fans, here are some small samples for Shumpert, Williams, Budinger and George courtesy of NBA.com. As a part of the NBA's new rules on the dunk competition, the winner will be decided by the fans.

Game information and TV Schedule are as follows:

All-Star Event Order Number: Four

Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Fla.

Time: Event start on Sat, Feb. 25 at 8:30 p.m. EDT.

TV: TNT

For more coverage of the NBA All-Star weekend, visit the SB Nation Storystream. For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

The NBA's sharpest shooters will be on display on Saturday night, as six of the best three point shooters in the land will be competing in the 2012 Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout as a part of NBA All Star Weekend at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.

While this year's pool of players do not include former champions and current Celtics Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, there is a very unique lineup on display this evening. Last year's defending champ James Jones of the Miami Heat will be leading the pack of Thunder star Kevin Durant, Nets swingman Anthony Morrow, Timberwolves big man Kevin Love (yeah, I'm not kidding), Magic sharpshooter Ryan Anderson and fellow Heat teammate Mario Chalmers.

This appears to be a wide open field, as none of these six players rank within the top five in the NBA in three point field goal percentage.

Game information and TV Schedule as follows:

All-Star Event Order Number: Three

Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Fla.

Time: Events start on Sat, Feb. 25 at 8:30 p.m. EDT.

TV: TNT

For more coverage of the NBA All-Star weekend, visit the SB Nation Storystream. For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

For the second event during tonight's NBA All-Star Saturday events, six of the best NBA ball handlers will face off against one another in the 2012 Taco Bell Skills Challenge at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla.

The Boston Celtics will be represented in this event by point guard Rajon Rondo, who was a late addition to the lineup after Warriors guard and defending champion Stephon Curry went down with injury earlier this week. Rondo, who averages just under 10 assists a game, is well known for his nifty passes in transition and has a knack for finding the open Celtic. Joining Rondo in the competition is Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving, Spurs guard Tony Parker, Wizards guard John Wall, Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, and Nets guard Deron Williams.

While Rondo has a legitimate shot at this, his Achilles heal that are free throws are involved in the competition, which could put the Celtics point guard at a disadvantage.

Game information and TV Schedule as follows:

All-Star Event Order Number: Two

Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Fla.

Time: Events start on Sat, Feb. 25 at 8:30 p.m. EDT.

TV: TNT

For more coverage of the NBA All-Star weekend, visit the SB Nation Storystream. For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

One of the only NBA All-Star Saturday Night events that revolves around team play is back as the 2012 Haier Shooting Stars Competition will lead off tonight's festivities at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.

While there isn't a "Team Boston" competing in tonight's event (thought that would be sweet), there will be teams that will represent some of the best basketball cities the country has to offer. The teams with participants are as follows:

• Team New York: Knicks guard Landry Fields, WNBA star Cappie Pondexter and former Knick Allan Houston.
• Team Atlanta: Hawks forward Jerry Stackhouse, WNBA star Lindsey Harding and former Hawk Steve Smith.
• Team Texas: Rockets forward Chandler Parsons, WNBA star Sophia Young and former Rocket Kenny Smith.
• Team Orlando: Magic guard Jameer Nelson, WNBA star Marie Ferdinand-Harris and former Magic star Dennis Scott.

There is revenge on the mind of Team Texas, as they were defeated by mere seconds by Team Atlanta in last year's competition.

Game information and TV Schedule as follows:

All-Star Event Order Number: One

Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Fla.

Time: Events start on Sat, Feb. 25 at 8:30 p.m. EDT.

TV: TNT

For more coverage of the NBA All-Star weekend, visit the SB Nation Storystream. For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving led Team Chuck to a 146-133 victory over Team Shaq in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night by scoring 34 points, making eight three-pointers, in the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. as part of the NBA's All-Star Weekend.

Irving only missed one shot throughout the entire game, going 12 for 13, and was perfect from three-point range. He's the second rookie in consecutive years to win the game's MVP award as Washington Wizards second-year player won the award last year when he was a rookie.

The two biggest names in the game were Clippers sophomore Blake Griffin and Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin, who both played for Team Shaq. Lin and Griffin hooked up for a big alley-oop, and Lin got some of the crowds loudest cheering, even though he was held to only two points.

There wasn't any actual coaching and for the most part the players were left to themselves so there was a lot of three-point shooting and a lot of major dunks, and dunking attempts. This was the second event in the first night of the NBA's All-Star Weekend and we still have a three-point contest, a slam dunk contest and the all-star game itself to watch in the next two days.

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation StoryStream. For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit out team page an blog, CelticsBlog.

Kyrie Irving was perfect from long distance, knocking down 7-of-8 shots and all four threes he attempted to finished the first half with 18 points and help give Team Chuck a 77-65 lead over Team Shaq at halftime of the 2012 BBVA Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night at Amway Center in Orlando, FL.

Led by a strong start from DeMarcus Cousins, Team Chuck jumped out to a quick 10-2 lead. Cousins had 11 of his team's first 19 points, and at one point, Team Chuck had as many points in the paint (24) as Team Shaq had points (23). Also, Evan Turner started strong for Team Chuck and had 12 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting with seven rebounds.

Being an All-Star game, there wasn't much play calling. Plenty of full court heaves, tons of dunks. Also, some missed dunks (looking at you Marshon Brooks). You know the drill.

Of course, the two biggest names in the game this year were Jeremy Lin and Blake Griffin (both on Team Shaq). We did get a Lin-to-Griffin alley-oop early on, but for the most part, the two weren't heard from much in the opening half, as Shaq was saving them for later.

For more coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, visit the SB Nation StoryStream. For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

After the Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant, the coach of the West team in the NBA All-Star Celebrity game, talked a little smack to start the game, the East team coach, Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard, put him in his place. The West team not only won the game, but they ran away with it by a score of 86-54 in Orlando.

The game was played at a leisurely pace and was more about fun than basketball, but there were some impressive performances. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who often plays basketball with President Obama, led the West team to victory with 17 points and eight rebounds and was awarded the game MVP award, which was won last year by Justin Bieber. Comedian Kevin Hart, who showed that he barely comes up to Howard's shoulder blades before the game, also entertained the crowd with crazy on-court antics and guaranteed that he would score 40 points and bring down 10 rebounds before the game.

This was just one of many entertaining events throughout the NBA's All-Star Weekend as the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge immediately followed, the NBA's shooting and dunking contests are Saturday and the game itself is Sunday.

For more on the NBA's All-Star Weekend, follow SB Nation Boston's story stream.

NBA All-Star weekend tips off Friday night with festivities including the NBA Rookie-Sophomore Game, now known as the Rising Stars Challenge.

The Rising Stars Challenge tips off at 9 p.m. on TNT shortly following the conclusion of the Celebrity Game (which, sorry teenybopper ladies and mature men who just want to watch phenomenal basketball, does not include Justin Bieber this year).

Headlined by stars like Ricky Rubio, Blake Griffin, Kyrie Irving and sophomore surprise Jeremy Lin, the Rising Stars game normally features plenty of alley oops and less defense than a criminal who pleas guilty.

[TEAM SHAQ ROSTER vs. TEAM CHUCK ROSTER]

Game information and TV schedule follows:

Location: Amway Arena, Orlando, Fla.

Time: Friday, Feb. 24 at 9 p.m. EST

TV: TNT

Streaming Audio: NBA All Access

For more coverage of the NBA All-Star weekend, visit the SB Nation Storystream. For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

On Wednesday, Boston Celtics guard, Rajon Rondo, was added to the Eastern Conference All-Star team as an injury replacement for the Hawks Joe Johnson, and has now been chosen to replace injured Warriors guard, Stephen Curry, in the Skills Challenge during NBA Saturday night.

Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo will replace defending champion Stephen Curry (strained tendon, right foot) in the Skills Challenge as part of the festivities at All-Star Saturday night in Orlando.

The rest of the field includes Cleveland's Kyrie Irving, San Antonio's Tony Parker, Washington's John Wall, Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, and New Jersey's Deron Williams.

Curry won the event last year, and the other previous winners include: Steve Nash (twice), Derrick, Rose, Derron Williams and Dwyane Wade (twice), Baron Davis and Jason Kidd.

For more coverage of the NBA All-Star weekend, visit the SB Nation Storystream. For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

The 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend festivities kick off Friday in Orlando with the Celebrity All-Star game and the Rookie/Sophomore game.

Every year during the Celebrity game former NBA players and stars from the entertainment industry take the court in a usually sloppy exhibition in front of the fans. The last four game MVPs have included: Terrell Owens (twice), Michael Rapaport and Justin Bieber.

When: Friday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Center Court at Jam Session, Orange County Convention Center
TV: ESPN

Here's a list of this year's rosters:

Ne-Yo (R&B/pop); Common (Just Wright); JB Smoove ("Curb Your Enthusiasm"); Vinny Guadagnino ("Jersey Shore"); Kevin Hart (Laugh At My Pain); Javier Colon ("The Voice"); Drew and Jonathan Scott ("Property Brothers"); Jesse Williams ("Grey's Anatomy"); NBA Legends Mitch Richmond (six-time NBA All-Star), Penny Hardaway (four-time NBA All-Star), and Nick Anderson (NBA legend); 2011 WNBA MVP Tamika Catchings (WNBA, Indiana Fever); and Doug Gottlieb (ESPN, "The Doug Gottlieb Show").

The two teams will be coached by Dwight Howard and Kevin Durant.

For more coverage of the NBA All-Star weekend, visit the SB Nation Storystream. For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

There will be two Boston Celtics represented at 2012 NBA All-Star weekend: Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo. Pierce was selected to the East All-Stars for the game originally while Rondo was a late add after Atlanta's Joe Johnson pulled out of the game with an injury.

Here's a rundown of the NBA All-Star events this weekend:

Friday, Feb. 24

Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game (7 p.m., TV: TNT)

This year's players include celebrities from film, TV and music and will feature Grammy Award-winner Ne-Yo(R&B/pop); Common (Just Wright); JB Smoove ("Curb Your Enthusiasm"); Vinny Guadagnino ("Jersey Shore"); Kevin Hart (Laugh At My Pain); Javier Colon ("The Voice"); Drew and Jonathan Scott ("Property Brothers"); Jesse Williams ("Grey's Anatomy"); NBA Legends Mitch Richmond (six-time NBA All-Star), Penny Hardaway (four-time NBA All-Star), and Nick Anderson (NBA legend); 2011 WNBA MVP Tamika Catchings(WNBA, Indiana Fever); and Doug Gottlieb (ESPN, "The Doug Gottlieb Show").

2012 NBA All-Stars, Orlando Magic Center Dwight Howard and Oklahoma City Thunder Forward Kevin Durant will serve as the East and West team coaches, respectively. (via NBA)

BBVA Rising Stars Challenge (9 p.m., TV: TNT)

Saturday, Feb. 25

NBA D-League All-Star Game (2 p.m., TV: NBA TV)

NBA All-Star Saturday Night (8:30 p.m., TV: TNT)

- 2012 Haier Shooting Stars (1st Event)
- 2012 Taco Bell Skills Challenge (2nd Event)
- 2012 Foot Locker Three-Point Contest (3rd Event)
- 2012 Sprite Slam Dunk (4th Event)

Sunday, Feb. 26

NBA All-Star Game (7:37 tip-off, TV: TNT)

For more coverage of the NBA All-Star weekend, visit the SB Nation Storystream. For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

A pleasant birthday present, indeed: On his 26th birthday, Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo has been named to the 2012 NBA All-Star Game as a replacement for the injured Joe Johnson, Celtics radio voice Sean Grande reported early Wednesday afternoon.

It will be Rondo's third straight appearance in the All-Star Game. His play this season -- 14.8 points, 9.5 assists (second in the NBA) and 4.9 rebounds -- likely merited inclusion in the All-Star Game when the teams were first announced, but Rondo missed eight games due to injury prior to the selection of reserves and was originally left off the roster.

Johnson pulled out of the All-Star Game due to tendinitis in his left knee, opening one spot on the Eastern Conference bench. The other candidates to replace Johnson included Josh Smith and Kyrie Irving.

Rondo is currently serving a two-game suspension for throwing a basketball at a referee.

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BOSTON - The complete rosters for the 2012 NBA All-Star game have were announced on Thursday night, with Paul Pierce being the only member of the Boston Celtics selected to the team. It is Pierce's 10th All-Star selection.

Rajon Rondo, meanwhile, was snubbed from the game. Despite his strong start, Rondo suffered a right wrist injury that likely cost him a spot on the team. Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen were also passed over for the game. This is the first time since Garnett's rookie season that he was not selected to the All-Star game.

Below is the complete roster for both the Eastern and Western conferences.

2012 NBA ALL-STAR GAME - ROSTERS

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat)
LeBron James (Miami Heat)
Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls)
Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic)
Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks)
Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks)
Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics)
Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers)
Deron Williams (New Jersey Nets)
Roy Hibbert (Indiana Pacers)
Chris Bosh (Miami Heat)
Luol Deng (Chicago Bulls)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)
Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers)
Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers)
Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Andrew Bynum (Los Angeles Lakers)
Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Steve Nash (Phoenix Suns)
LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland Trail Blazers)
Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies)
Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs)
Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks)

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