Nowitzki wins NBA All-Star game

The All-Star game is basketball's most spectacular showcase, and this year Dirk Nowitzki didn't hold back. In his 13th All-Star appearance, the German superstar might have only contributed five points, but executed one of the game's most memorable plays. His alley-oop dunk, one uncharacteristic of his style, impressed even those on the Eastern Conference bench.

Oklahoma City Thunder's guard Russell Westbrook hauled in an impressive 41 points in front of former US President Bill Clinton and rapper Jay-Z as the West beat the East 163-158.

Nowitzki's alley-oop dunk

Nowitzki watched the dunk festival before, midway through the second quarter, he came on to stun the crowd in Madison Square Garden. Teammate Stephen Curry set him up before Nowitzki dunked with his tongue out, a la Michael Jordan. The West team bench sprang up in admiration, while opponent Pau Gasol congratulated the German, who isn't prone to acrobatics on the court. According to ESPN statistics, Nowitzki's last alley-oop dunk came over 11 years ago.

"It was the highlight of my day," said the 36-year-old afterwards. "The lads gave me a little stick because they said I hadn't made a dunk since 1994. It was a funny moment."

Westbrook Show

As expected, other players took a leading role in the game. LeBron James completed two dunks in the first 31 seconds and the first 15 of the East's 21 points. Westbrook though, stole the show, and made sure the West lead 56-36 at the break. His 27 points in the first 24 minutes was a first-half All-Star game record.

The Eastern Conference, who had four Atlanta Hawks on the court at the same time at one point, got back in the game though as a lack of defensive intensity made for an exciting finish. While Nowitzki watched the final quarter from the sidelines, Westbrook struck a three-pointer and shot from the free-throw line to seal the victory.

jh/apc (dpa)