Washington, USA, February 12 (agencies) - Allen Iverson, the smallest man on the court, sent a jolt of electricity through the NBA's 50th All-Star Game and rallied his Eastern Conference team to a thrilling 111-110, come-from-behind victory on Sunday.
In an All-Star Game that started with an 11-0 West run and was a fairly typical mix of spectacular plays and sloppy turnovers, the West led by 21 points with a little over nine minutes to go, and by 19 with eighth and a half left.
An Iverson three-pointer off a Marbury assist with 2:45 to go gave the East its first lead of the game at 103-102.
Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers made three jumpers in the final 1:25, but Marbury hit two huge three-pointers inside the final minute to tie at 108 and take the final lead at 111-110.
While presenting the MVP award to Iverson, NBA Commissioner David
Stern, with a sly grin on his face, told Iverson that great basketball "can
be wrapped - if you pardon the expression - in very small packages."
The comment was a clever reference to Iverson's height -- he is an inch
or two shy of 6 feet -- and Iverson's rap album, which was criticized for
its lyrics and led to a meeting with the commissioner.
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Vlade Divac
Born: on February 3, 1968
in Prijepolje.
Height/Weight: 216 cm/118kg
Position: Center
Clubs: Sloga (YUG), Partizan (YUG), LA Lakers (US), Charlotte (US), Red Star (YUG), Sacramento (US).
NBA career highs: 34 points (vs. Suns 1/02/01), 24 rebounds (two times), 13 assists (vs. Grizzlies 4/05/96), 12 blocks (vs. Nets 2/12/97) and six steals (two times).
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Yugoslav ace Vlade Divac, center of the Sacramento, played in the team of Western conference. The Yugoslav native made his first All-Star appearance in 12 NBA seasons.
For only nine minutes on the court Divac scored 8 points (4-6 field goals), had 3 rebounds, 2 steals and an assist. While presenting the players Divac got a thunderous applause, confirming how much he is respected by the NBA fans in the USA.
Vlade Divac, aged 33 and one week, is the third oldest player in the history of the All-Star games. Only Nat Clifton (aged 34 and three months) and Miami forward Anthony Mason (aged 34 and two months) are older than him.
Divac is the third European player participating in an All-Star game. Before him, that recognition was given to the German Detlef Schrempf and the Dutch Rick Smits. However, Divac is the only one who did not study at any of American colleges.
Sacramento: Kings of 2ball
Stojakovic and Ruthie Bolton-Holifield
raise their trophys after winning
the NBA two-ball competition
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Washington, USA, February 11 (agencies) - Kings and Yugoslavia's forward Predrag Stojakovic and Monarchs guard Ruthie Bolton-Holifield won the 2ball event at the NBA All-Star weekend, beating Cleveland's Trajan Langdon and Eva Nemcova 62-57 in the final.
``In Sacramento, we're trying to get on the map,'' Bolton-Holifield said. ``The Kings are having a great season.
The Monarchs are looking forward to having a great season. This would be a great way to get it started.''
The purple-clad duo won with consummate teamwork. The two players take turns shooting from various spots on the floor for 60 seconds, with each spot having a certain point value.
In the first round, Bolton-Holifield hit six straight 7-pointers from 19 feet, 9 inches. In the final, Stojakovic found his rhythm, at one point nailing four of five from the 8-point spot beyond the NBA's 3-point line.
``I carried him in the first round,'' said Bolton-Holifield, who will split $25,000 with Stojakovic. ``And he carried me in the second round.''
Just when it looked like Predrag Stojakovic was going to claim the title of the NBA's best shooter, Ray Allen turned into an assassin.
Allen made 10 straight shots in the final round of the competition to overtake Stojakovic and win the long distance shootout contest at All-Star Saturday.
Stojakovic had staked an early claim to the title by winning the 2ball event with
Ruthie Bolton-Holifield. He maintained the hot hand in the first round of the
Shootout before notching a 17 in the final round.
The Serbian sensation of the Sacramento Kings was on the verge of completing the same double achieved last year by Jeff Hornacek, who retired in the offseason with the unofficial badge of honor.
But Allen, the All-Star guard of the Milwaukee Bucks who faltered against Hornacek, did not do so again this year. He trailed by 10 points midway through the rack at the top of the key before making the final ``money'' ball and locking in.
Allen made all five balls in the left-wing rack and the first four in the left corner before his final shot bounced away. By that time, he had 19 points and had shot down Stojakovic.
``In the beginning I was nervous in the 2ball competition, but then after I won, I was sure I'm going to shoot the ball well,'' Stojakovic said.
