Tracy McGrady scored 36 points but LeBron James took home the All Star Game MVP after helping the East overcome a 21-point third quarter defecit en route to a 122-120 win Sunday night. LeBron dropped 29 on 12-21 shooting while Dwayne Wade and Shaq chipped in 20 and 17 respectively and four Detroit Pistons — Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace and Rip Hamilton — contributed some much-needed defense.
Billups had 15 points and seven assists as one of four Pistons off the East’s bench. When they returned in tandem in the third quarter, they continued the comeback and flashed some of their trademark defense to hold the West to 50 second-half points….
The Pistons…continued the rally with some defense. Ben Wallace had consecutive blocks on Pau Gasol of Memphis and Richard Hamilton flipped in a shot to make it 96-94.
The quartet scored the East’s first 11 points of the fourth quarter before O’Neal threw in a hook for a 107-101 lead with 7:38 remaining.
At 21, LeBron is the youngest ASG MVP in league history.
