Durant says winning All-Star MVP a childhood dream

Posted by Spoelstra Heat | Posted on 27-02-2012

Category : NBA All-Star Game

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Durant says winning All-Star MVP a childhood dream

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Kevin Durant cringes a little whenever he hears his name next to words like elite or superstar.

But after winning his first All-Star MVP award with a scoring display that ranked among the best in the game’s history, even Durant might have to acknowledge his own NBA stardom.

The Oklahoma City Thunder forward scored 36 points and grabbed seven rebounds Sunday night to help the West hold off a late charge from the East in a 152-149 victory.

“It’s just exciting to be named (an) All-Star, but to step it up another level and become MVP, it’s only something as a kid you dream about,” Durant said.

“Coming from where I come from, I didn’t think I would be here. Everything is just a blessing to me.”

His performance was a small piece of All-Star redemption for Durant after he came up just short against Minnesota’s Kevin Love in Saturday night’s 3-point Shootout.

Durant dazzled with a scoring barrage that included jump shots, slashing layups and dunks to help the West open a 21-point lead.

He even eclipsed West teammate Kobe Bryant, who scored 27 points and passed Michael Jordan to become the top career scorer in All-Star game history.

Durant said there was no special method to how he approached the game, but said he and West coach Scott Brooks did have a discussion back in Oklahoma City in which Durant let him know he didn’t mind logging a high number of All-Star minutes.

Durant finished the night playing a game-high 37.

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By KYLE HIGHTOWER, Associated Press

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Bryant, West hold on to win NBA All-Star game

Posted by Spoelstra Heat | Posted on 27-02-2012

Category : NBA All-Star Game

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Bryant, West hold on to win NBA All-Star game

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Kobe, KD and the West looked ready to deliver a quick KO.

Kevin Durant knew better.

“With all these great players on the floor, you never know what will happen,” Durant said. “Guys making big shots, and they cut it down to one. We were up 18.”

Just enough, it turned out, to hold off LeBron James and the East in the NBA All-Star game.

A bloodied Bryant scored 27 points, moving past Michael Jordan as the career scoring leader in the game, Durant had 36 in an MVP performance, and the Western Conference won 152-149 on Sunday night.

James and the East cut a 21-point deficit to one in the closing seconds, but weren’t able to move in front. James had 36 points and fellow Heat star Dwyane Wade finished with a triple-double.

“It was fun,” Durant said. “That’s the type of All-Star game you want to see.”

Blake Griffin scored 22 points for the West, which rang up 88 points in the first half, setting an All-Star record. But he won the game with his defense, picking off James’ pass when the East had a chance to tie in the final seconds.

“When I tried to throw it late, that’s what usually happens and it results in a turnover,” James said. “Definitely wish I could have that one back.”

Griffin then hit one free throw with 1.1 seconds left, and Wade was off on a 3-point attempt from the corner. He finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, joining Jordan and James as the only players with All-Star game triple-doubles.

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By BRIAN MAHONEY, AP Basketball Writer
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Jeremy Lin humbled, humorous during All-Star weekend

Posted by Spoelstra Heat | Posted on 26-02-2012

Category : NBA All-Star Game

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Jeremy Lin humbled, humorous during All-Star weekend

ORLANDO – Guard Jeremy Lin and his good buddy, New York Knicks backcourt teammate Landry Fields, walked into the packed interview room.

“One thing I really do want to do is embrace that platform (of being in New York) and to be able to use it in the right way, and use it positively and make sure that my message and the way that I live is in a way appropriate of a role model,” Knicks guard Jeremy Lin said Friday.

“One thing I really do want to do is embrace that platform (of being in New York) and to be able to use it in the right way, and use it positively and make sure that my message and the way that I live is in a way appropriate of a role model,” Knicks guard Jeremy Lin said Friday.

Lin took his spot at a table on the dais. Fields grabbed the microphone reserved for news reporters asking questions.

“Landry Fields, from The Post,” Fields said. “Apparently the San Francisco Pro-Am has a league every summer with their college players. We’d like to know: Who was the MVP? I’m pretty sure the dates are 2009 and 2010. If you could just explain that.”

“Yeah,” Lin said. “Landry Fields was the MVP of the San Francisco Pro-Am 2009, 2010. He played for the Oakland Believers … and he doesn’t have a lot of friends.”

It’s a testament to Lin’s level head in the face of a life-changing three weeks and unprecedented coverage since the NBA’s first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent injected the league with an insanely popular and positive story – about someone about to be released from his third team and considering a return to the D-League, playing in Europe or a temporary break from basketball.

Instead, Lin’s often remarkable and unexpected play has resuscitated the Knicks – and captured the imagination even of New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

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By Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY

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Miami Heat’s Norris Cole impresses in Rising Stars Challenge

Posted by Spoelstra Heat | Posted on 26-02-2012

Category : NBA All-Star Game

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Miami Heat’s Norris Cole impresses in Rising Stars Challenge

Norris Cole might have been a late invite to the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge, but it didn’t take him long to prove he fit in. The rookie tallied eight points in his first 7 1/2 minutes, and at halftime he was second on the team with nine points.

Cole added another nine points in the second half, making him the second leading scorer on Team Shaq.

“Once you enter the NBA, it’s no boys allowed,” Cole said. “You have to have that mindset that you belong out there. That’s how I am. I feel and look like I belong out there.”

Cole played 24 1/2 minutes off the bench, and connected on four of a game-high 11 three-pointers. He also added several impressive lobs, including two in a row to Landry Fields late in the second half.

Team Shaq coach Ron Adams was impressed with Cole when the Bulls worked him out last year, and Adams said what stands out about Cole is his balanced game and his attitude.

“I think he’s got a big heart and he competes hard,” Adams said. “I like that about him.”

With his “work” out of the way, Cole is looking forward to relaxing with his father, mother and sister for the rest of the weekend.

“We’re going to enjoy Orlando,” Cole said. “That’s all that’s on my mind.”

BY ROBBIE LEVIN, The Miami Herald
RLEVIN@MIAMIHERALD.COM

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Utah’s Jeremy Evans wins Slam Dunk Contest

Posted by Spoelstra Heat | Posted on 26-02-2012

Category : NBA All-Star Game

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Utah’s Jeremy Evans wins Slam Dunk Contest

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – His nickname is the Human Pogo Stick and Utah’s Jeremy Evans set out to put some bounce back into the Slam Dunk Contest.

Evans endeared himself to the fans with a mix of props and creativity, and they voted him the winner of one of the marquee events of the NBA’s All-Star Saturday festivities.

Evans, who got into the competition as a replacement for injured New York guard Iman Shumpert, earned 29 percent of the 3 million votes cast. He beat out Houston’s Chase Budinger, Indiana’s Paul George and Minnesota’s Derrick Williams for the Jazz’s first-ever trophy in the contest.

In a departure from past dunk competitions, fans were given complete voting power and cast their ballots by text message after each of the four participants competed in three one-dunk rounds.

Evans dunked with a camera on his head, slammed two basketballs while jumping over a seated assistant and donned a Karl Malone jersey to dunk over mailman-dressed comedian Kevin Hart.

Evans said the Jazz didn’t have any input in the Malone-themed idea.

“Not at all,” he said. “I was just thanking the Jazz fans. You want to do something to get them in it. So I felt that was a good way. And Dwight Howard, he helped me big time. That was huge.”

Budinger got just as many cheers from the Amway Center fans as Evans, and some in the celebrity-filled crowd sighed when the winner was announced.

Budinger got his biggest reaction when he donned a Cedric Ceballos jersey and imitated his 1992 blindfolded dunk, completing it with a reverse slam.

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By KYLE HIGHTOWER, Associated Press

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Jeremy Lin soaks up scene at All-Star weekend

Posted by Spoelstra Heat | Posted on 26-02-2012

Category : NBA All-Star Game

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Jeremy Lin soaks up scene at All-Star weekend

ORLANDO, Fla. – A month ago, many people didn’t even know Jeremy Lin was an NBA player.

That wasn’t the case Friday night. When Lin was introduced at the Rising Stars Challenge, the only player to command anywhere near the same level of applause was Los Angeles Clippers All-Star Blake Griffin.

Fresh off a back-to-back with the New York Knicks, Lin had little more than a cameo role in the Rising Stars game, which featured the league’s top first- and second-year players.

Lin had two points on 1-of-4 shooting, one rebound and one assist in just nine minutes for Team Shaq. Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving, the top pick of the 2011 draft, was the game’s MVP, making all eight of his 3-pointers and totaling 34 points and nine assists to lead Team Chuck to a 146-133 victory.

Despite his limited minutes in the game, Lin has still been one of the top attractions at All-Star weekend. The sporting world has been captivated by the rags-to-riches story of the Harvard graduate who was nearly cut by his third team in two months before lifting the listless Knicks into playoff contention.

“The experience was a lot of fun,” Lin said after the game. “I know I didn’t play too much, but I was glad to be a part of it. …It was just a fun night.”

Other players in the Rising Stars Challenge held a media session with reporters on Friday morning.

NBA officials, however, feared the demand for Lin was too great and gave him his own news conference two hours before the game. The interview room was so packed league officials eventually were forced to lock the door and tell late arrivers to watch a video feed.

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By Marc J. Spears, Yahoo! Sports

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Irving leads Team Chuck to Rising Stars game win

Posted by Spoelstra Heat | Posted on 26-02-2012

Category : NBA All-Star Game

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Irving leads Team Chuck to Rising Stars game win

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Kyrie Irving kicked off the aerial display with an alley-oop to Paul George. Cleveland’s rookie point guard then showed off his long-range shooting skills.

It was so much fun that Irving wasn’t too upset that all those 3-pointers came in a meaningless game.

Irving was a perfect 8 for 8 from beyond the arc and finished with 34 points, helping Team Chuck beat Team Shaq 146-133 in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday.

Indiana’s George added 23 points but the night belonged to Irving, who picked up where another No. 1 overall pick left off in the NBA’s showcase game for its first- and second-year players. Wizards point guard John Wall earned MVP honors last season when he was a rookie.

Irving said he couldn’t remember being so hot from the field.

“No, it’s never occurred in my career,” he said. “You know, it’s kind of unfortunate that it comes in the All-Star game. These stats don’t carry over into the season. But at the end of the day, it was still fun to get out there with those talented guys. So it was a great experience.”

Cleveland’s Tristan Thompson scored 20 points to lead Team Shaq. New York Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin only had two points.

This year’s Rising Stars Challenge had a different format, with the rookie and second-year players mixed together on teams for the first time.

The league also inserted a little more name recognition with former stars Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley serving as general managers and drafting the teams.

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By KYLE HIGHTOWER, Associated Press

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Kobe Bryant skips All-Star media session

Posted by Spoelstra Heat | Posted on 25-02-2012

Category : NBA All-Star Game

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Kobe Bryant skips All-Star media session

ORLANDO, Fla. – Five cameras circled an empty chair for 45 minutes.

They – and their operators – waited patiently for Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant at All-Star media availability on Friday. And waited. And waited.

This, by the way, was the same chair occupied by Dwight Howard during his 45-minute rap session. The Orlando Magic center faced innumerable questions about his future – including one from a child who wanted to know where he would be playing next season.

But time ticked away on Bryant, with reporters wondering if they’d ever get to ask about his game, about Pau Gasol or about whether he’s back with Vanessa.

There was the expected grumbling and grousing. “My back hurts,” one reporter said. “He makes more in 1/10th of a second of a game than I do in a year.”

One member of the foreign press seemed shocked that Kobe would not show up, even though it’s been done by the likes of Michael Jordan. These guys can afford to pay the fine for missing a media session.

Time slowly ran out. The other Western Conference All-Stars answered every question, serious and silly. Kobe’s chair was still empty in front of the cameras – the most scrutinized vacant seat since Simon Cowell left “American Idol.”

Then, with literally one minute to go – Kobe always makes it interesting with a minute to go – NBA communications rep Tim Frank announced that Kobe was “ill” and wouldn’t make the session.

Jokes and sighs ensued. We can only hope the Lakers superstar – and the reporter with the bad back – feel better by Sunday.

By Eric Adelson, Yahoo! Sports

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The Miami Heat’s three big stars feel like elder statesman at the All-Star Game

Posted by Spoelstra Heat | Posted on 25-02-2012

Category : NBA All-Star Game

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The Miami Heat’s three big stars feel like elder statesman at the All-Star Game

ORLANDO – The man in the suit sat behind his cardboard nameplate and a makeshift microphone.

Then Dwyane Wade surveyed the ballroom, wondering whether he and the bespectacled Heat teammate to his right, LeBron James, had the most All-Star appearances on the Eastern Conference roster.

“I don’t know how many Paul (Pierce) has,” Wade said. “And I know he’s got more years than us in the NBA. It’s got to be a lot.”

It is.

The Celtics forward is in his 14th season, and Sunday will be his 10th All-Star Game.

Wade and James? They’re right behind, with eight selections in nine NBA seasons. Next on the East roster: Miami’s Chris Bosh, with seven.

“We feel like the elder statesmen,” James said. “Not having (Kevin Garnett) around in our locker room, not having Shaq the last couple of years. Tim Duncan, J-Kidd, all those guys who have been a part of All-Star Weekend.”

The East roster includes three first-timers, the same number as the West. Only Kobe Bryant (14 appearances), Dirk Nowitzki (11) and Pierce have been in more All-Star Games than James, Wade and Steve Nash (who also has eight).

This reality had the Heat trio feeling wistful Friday. After all, there’s not much to stress about at the moment. The Miami stars enter the break tied with Oklahoma City for the league’s best record (27-7) thanks to an eight-game winning streak that they punctuated by curbing the Lin-thusiasm on Thursday night with a 14 -point victory against New York.

All eight victories came by double digits.

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By ETHAN J. SKOLNICK, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

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NBA All-Stars: A Look At The Eastern Conference Reserves

Posted by Spoelstra Heat | Posted on 23-02-2012

Category : NBA All-Star Game

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NBA All-Stars: A Look At The Eastern Conference Reserves

The Eastern Conference All-Stars were unveiled, revealing that the coaches left many deserving players off the roster. Conversely, the Western Conference coaches did a much better job.

Here are the Eastern Conference reserves along with my thoughts on their selections:

Chris Bosh (Heat) – In his second year with Miami, Bosh has delivered All-Star-worthy contributions. Although the first part of February has not been as kind to Bosh, he had a great month of January, in which he posted 30 or more points on three occasions.

The former fourth overall pick has also been key to Miami’s success this season. During his team’s 19 wins, Bosh is averaging 20.4 points per game on 53 percent shooting.

However, in team losses, Bosh has posted only 16.0 points per game on 44 percent shooting. He also averages 2.3 assists in wins, compared to just 1.4 in losses.

Roy Hibbert (Pacers) – I begrudgingly agree with the Hibbert selection. Greg Monroe’s numbers are slightly better, but the “quality of one’s team” argument makes sense here. It’s not as if the Pacers are a little better than the Pistons; they’re considerably superior.

The Pistons were 4-20 before their current three-game winning streak. The Pacers, on the other hand, currently boast the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference.

Individually, however, not much (if anything) separates Hibbert from Monroe. Monroe is a better passer and free throw shooter, whereas Hibbert is the superior shot blocker. Monroe is scoring more points, but he’s playing nearly three additional minutes per game, for a worse team.

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Aaron Fischman, Associate Sports Editor

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