Posted by Rob Peterson (NBA.com) on Feb 21 2005 2:24 a.m. ET
For MVP voters, AI was a crystal clear choice.
(Andrew Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images)
Before the game, we NBA.commers ask ourselves this question: Who will win the All-Star Game MVP?
Alas, none of us had The Answer. (For the record, I said KG.)
Because, if you think about it, Allen Iverson was the logical choice to win the 54th NBA All-Star Game MVP. Obviously, his play in the All-Star Game warranted it, but coming into the All-Star Game, Iverson's been the best player in the league.
We should have known.
Iverson has averaged 37.5 points per game in his last five heading into the break, including a 60-point outburst against the Magic on Feb. 12. Pound-for-pound, the Answer may be the toughest player in NBA history. You can see how much he loves to play hoops because he throws himself at the mercy of its physical nature, night in and night out.
Yet, in the All-Star Game, the playful Iverson comes out. He thrives in the game's loose structure. (Shhhh! He did have seven turnovers.) He bobbed, weaved, deked and feinted his way to his second All-Star MVP award. I know he does this magic during the regular season, too, but in the All-Star Game, a smile comes out and the I'm-dead-serious regular-season scowl disappears. He looks relaxed.
And as we blogged earlier, next to Shaq, no one seems to enjoy this everyone-is-watching event more than Iverson.
Tonight in Denver, it showed. And now, he has something else to show: Another All-Star Game MVP award.
As for the rest of the game, we thought the West might make a run at the end, especially after Kobe Bryant and Ray Allen each hit two three-pointers late in the fourth quarter. But down the stretch, the West clanked look after open look, even missing a couple of layups.
Allen led all scorers with 17 points, Bryant was second with 16 and Iverson, Tim Duncan and Jermaine O'Neal had 15 points apiece.
Now, for our unofficial All-Star Game awards.
Making the Most of His Time Award, East: Jermaine O'Neal, Indiana
J.O. tallied 15 points and five boards in 19 minutes. That's efficient.
Making the Most of His Time Award, West: Tim Duncan, San Antonio
T.D. scored 15 points in 16 minutes and grabbed nine boards. If the West could have closed the gap at the end, Duncan probably would have been on the floor in crunch time.
The Nice-to-Have-You-Back Award: Grant Hill, Orlando
Grant, although you only played 18 minutes and scored only six points, it was nice to have you back in the All-Star Game.
Mr. Accurate Award: Shawn Marion, Phoenix
Marion had 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting in 16 minutes of play.
The Iron Man Award: Iverson
At 32 minutes, Iverson got the most burn. LeBron James was a close second with 31 minutes.
The Rookie of the Game Award: LeBron James, Cleveland
With 13 points, eight boards and six dimes, LBJ's well-rounded game put him into contention for the Game's MVP award. As it was, his debut was the best of the seven first-time All-Stars.
Here's the proof: Man can fly.
Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty Images
Play of the Night: Vince Carter, Toronto
Yeah, that off-the-glass alley oop to yourself was sweet, Vince. And in case you needed further evidence of how high Vinsanity got into the air, check out the photo to your right (and the reactions of those in press row).
Alley-Oop of the Night: Kobe-to-Amare
Sorry, A.I. and LeBron, the oop from Kobe to Amare, who waited 'til he got to the other side until he dunked it, was the prime connection of the evening.
And our final award...
Seems Like Old Times Award : Nash to Nowitzki
Of Steve Nash's six assists, two went to Dirk Nowitzki.
That's it from All-Star Weekend here in Denver. So, class, what did we learn?
On Friday, we noted that the league is in good hands. On Saturday, we found out that everyone associated with Phoenix is really, really good and that Dominique Wilkins is an inspiration to young dunkers. Last, but not least, on Sunday, we got a full picture of one of the best guards ever to play the game.
Now, it's on to the second half of the season. Nothing's settled yet. Not with Phoenix a mere half-game ahead of the Spurs for the best record in the league, and not with the Mavs and Rockets playing as well as any teams have had all year long. Sure, Miami's on a roll, but nothing's settled there either. Not with Detroit picking up steam in the East.
So, it should be a great second half. And with scoring up across the league, it should be exciting as well.
Finally, some of the entries in this blog would not be possible without the help of many people, including Paul and Marc Hirschheimer (for the photo shoots), Kevin Dobstaff (for the Skills Challenge run through), Randy Kim (lead NBA.com editor) and the rest of the NBA.com crew -- Mike Allen, Adam Bloom, Jeff Dengate, Jen Nelson and Eric Weinstein -- who gathered quotes, sighted celebrities and made the whole weekend an incredible experience.
We want to thank you for reading NBA.com's All-Star Blog this weekend. We hope you had as much fun reading as we did writing.
