By Mustafa Caglayan
NEW YORK
Russell Westbrook won the award for Most Valued Player, or MVP, as he led the Western Conference to a 163-158 win over the Eastern Conference on Sunday night in the highest-scoring game in NBA All-Star history.
The Oklahoma City Thunder star's 41 points fell one point short of legendary Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 42 points in the 1962 edition of the game.
The league's current top scorer James Harden added 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the West, which was 20 points ahead 2 minutes into the second quarter but then was caught up at 148-148 with 4:19 remaining.
On the East side, LeBron James finished with 30 points and Kyle Corver with 21.
The game at New York's Madison Square Garden saw the two teams combine for a record 321 points. The previous record was set in 2014 with 318 points, when the East defeated the West 163-155.
"It's amazing and a blessing to be here in New York City," said Westbrook, who was named MVP for his part in bringing the glory back to the West. "I am definitely excited to go home and take this trophy with me."
Prior to the game's tip-off, Grammy Award-winning pop icon Christina Aguilera performed some of her biggest hits at the venue, followed by a brief performance by Brooklyn-born rapper Nas.
R&B star Ariana Grande headlined the game's halftime show.
Among the night's celebrity sightings were former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Rihanna, Beyonce, Jay Z, Nicki Minaj, Ben Stiller, Puff Daddy, Chris Tucker and Floyd Mayweather.
