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

Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo Fined $20K Each For Missing All-Star Appearances

2012-03-07T00:09:06Z

Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce and guard Rajon Rondo have reportedly each been fined $20,000 for missing their scheduled charity appearances during the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend in Orlando, Florida on the weekend of Feb. 26, per a USA Today report. Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant was also fined $40,000 for missing the event.

The NBA fined the Los Angeles Lakers guard $40,000 for missing a news conference and a mandated charity appearance for NBA Cares during All-Star weekend in Orlando. In addition, the NBA fined Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce and guard Rajon Rondo $20,000 each for missing their charity appearances. (via USA Today)

Rondo participated in the Taco Bell Skills Competition and appeared in his third All-Star Game while Pierce was making his 10th career All-Star appearance, which led all players on this year's Eastern Conference Roster. Rondo had two points and eight assists in 15 minutes while Pierce had three points and two turnovers in 11 minutes in the All-Star Game.

For more Boston Celtics coverage, visit our team page and blog, CelticsBlog.

NBA All-Star Game 2012: Exhilarating Battle Saves The Weekend

2012-02-27T12:05:03Z

Kevin Durant, take a bow. Actually, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant should take a bow, too. The trio of stars more than made up for what had otherwise been a mediocre, embarrassing even, series of events on Saturday night by putting on a show in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando, FL on Sunday night.

Durant and James each had 36 points, but Durant was named the MVP -- he's the youngest ever at 23 years old -- as the West topped the East, 152-149, in one of the best All-Star Games in recent memory. Bryant, meanwhile, passed Michael Jordan for the number one spot on the all-time All-Star Game scoring list on a breakaway dunk in the third quarter.

Normally, an all-star game isn't an example of one particular sport being played at its finest level. And while it certainly didn't look that way at the start, Sunday's battle between stars from around the country morphed into exactly that. Though the first half wasn't even close -- the West led by nearly 20 most of the time and held an 88-69 advantage at halftime -- things would turn around.

James and Wade led the East on a furious comeback in the second half, one that saw them cut the West lead down to one point on two occasions. During the comeback stretch, James went toe-to-toe with another young great in Durant, providing a glimpse of what may be in store for NBA fans come summer time.

(A quick aside -- obviously, we all want the Boston Celtics to make it back to the NBA Finals and win that 18th banner. Let's be real, though. It's likely not going to happen. So if we can't have our Celtics in the Finals, why not root for the next best thing -- a James and Durant matchup. Celtics fans aren't too keen on James for good reason. As a basketball fan, though, the thought of a LeBron vs. Durant Finals makes me giddy. What a battle that would be. Again, next best option.)

What James and Durant did down the stretch was really enjoyable. Up and down the court faster than you could believe, the league's two premier players set out on a mission to prove their dominance, and it inspired the play of their fellow All-Stars around them. The final 12 minutes in the All-Star Game was basketball at its finest.

Usually, the All-Stars fool around in the first half and get down to business in the second. But this one felt different. True, they followed that same format, but this year's finish featured a lot more passionate play than in previous All-Star tilts. Again, the greatness of LeBron and Durant flowed into their teammates. We even had defense being played in the closing minutes.

More importantly, their performance was a great way to cap off a weekend that, up to that point, had been pretty bad. Sure, the Rising Stars Challenge was alright. Kyrie Irving showed the world what he could do, and we had our fair share of Lob City and Linsanity.

But when Saturday rolled around, expectations hit the floor. Going in, fans didn't hope for much out of the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, the signature event of All-Star Saturday Night and once the most fun event of the entire weekend. That's not a good sign, and it certainly wasn't good when it underperformed expectation. Jeremy Evans had a few nice (but previously executed) dunks and did enough to win in a bad field, but nobody blew the doors down. That's due in part to the fact that the dunk contest featured a bunch of nobodies.

Ironically, the same problem that was created by the absence of players like James, Durant and Bryant was solved by them. Graciously, our lasting memory of this February weekend will be the battle between James and Durant instead of botched dunks from Derrick Williams.

Like 'em or hate 'em, basketball fans should thank King James and Durantula for that, at the least.

NBA All-Star Game 2012: Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo Struggle In Loss

2012-02-27T12:01:16Z

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.

Kobe Bryant Injury: Kobe Suffers Nasal Fracture In NBA All-Star Game

2012-02-27T06:53:27Z

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.

West 152, East 149: Kevin Durant Shines In Record-Setting Battle

2012-02-27T04:52:33Z

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.

NBA All-Star Game 2012: Kevin Durant Named MVP In West Victory

2012-02-27T03:44:15Z

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.

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

2012-02-27T03:28:39Z

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.

VIDEO: NBA All-Star Game 2012 Halftime Show

2012-02-27T02:57:44Z

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.