ALEX FRANCO
STAFF WRITER

With the NBA All-Star weekend in Orlando, Fla. coming to a close, the 2012 All-Star game came down to the wire in the last seconds of the fourth quarter as the West stars stopped the East stars dead in their tracks.

The game began with a bang with a Nicki Minaj performance- led-introduction of the All-Star players from Both the NBA’s Western and Eastern Conference’s.

Starting for the West were, LA Clipper point guard Chris Paul, LA Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant, LA Clipper power forward Blake Griffin, Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant and LA Lakers Center Andrew Bynum. The East All-Star starters were, Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose, Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat small forward LeBron James, NY Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony and hometown favorite Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.

The first quarter of the game was filled with the defense- less basketball play we come to love and enjoy during All-Star weekend. There were ferocious slam dunks, and alley-oop dunks from both sides of the court, from Chris Paul throwing it up to Blake Griffin to Dwyane Wade sending it to teammate LeBron James. The West got out to an early lead, a lead they wouldn’t surrender for the rest of the game, leading 88-69 at halftime.

The West’s 88 points at halftime now stand as the All-Star game record for points in a half. That wasn’t the only record that we saw fall Sunday night. Kobe Bryant in his record tying fourteenth All-Star game appearance broke the record for most career points in the All-Star game passing Michael Jordan’s mark of 262 points. Dwyane Wade of the East registered the third triple- double in All-Star game history with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

Kevin Durant and Bryant carried the West in their win over the East. Durant led all scorers with 36 points; enough to have him voted the game’s MVP. Lebron James led the East’s late charge at the end scoring 36 points for the East, but also gave the ball away in the closing seconds of the game, sealing the victory for the West.

“Can’t turn the ball over like that, I let my team down, but overall it was a great weekend,” James said.

The weekend came to a close with the West 152-149 victory, which is now the second year in a row they have walked away the winners.