112. The Overshadowed All-Star MVP_3

Ultimately, thanks to O'Neal's dominance in the paint and the fast breaks led by James and Wade, the Eastern team narrowly defeated the Western team 125 to 119.

The commentators were all marveling at O'Neal's impact. From the revival of the All-Star Game in 2000 to 2004, during five All-Star games, the West won four times. The only time the East won was in the 2001 All-Star game when Duncan's last-second mid-range shot missed, and the East won by one point.

Back then, the disparity in strength between the Eastern and Western All-Star lineups was huge. The West could afford to take it easy at the start and still catch up or even surpass the score in half a quarter or a quarter. The West lost in 2001 purely because they played around too much.