The 2004 NBA All-Star Game airs on Sunday at 8:45 p.m. ET on TNT.

In a classic All-Star Game matchup in Atlanta a year ago, MVP Kevin Garnett scored 37 points en route to leading the Western Conference to a 155-140 double-overtime victory. But several of the Eastern Conference players who were there are still smarting from the foul call that they believe lost them the game.

Jermaine O'Neal looks to lead the East to victory after his fateful foul in last season's All-Star Game. David Sherman/NBAE/Getty Images

With the East leading 138-136 and just seconds to play in the first overtime, Kobe Bryant launched an errant three-point attempt from the right baseline, but Jermaine O'Neal was whistled for a foul, putting Bryant on the free-throw line for three shots. He made two, forcing a second OT that would belong entirely to the West.

"Last year we should’ve won off a questionable call made on me," said O'Neal. "People are not giving us the love that we deserve because we’re in the Eastern Conference."

Boston's Paul Pierce, who scored eight points in 18 minutes in that game, agreed.

"The East has something to prove this year. We want to win it. And we would've won it last year if it weren't for that foul call."

Still, the All-Stars acknowledge that they're primarily here to put on an entertaining show for the fans, and any team victory would simply be a bonus.

"I think collectively the guys go out for the first three quarters and kind of mess around to get the crowd going," said O'Neal. "And then the last five or 10 minutes they’re trying to win. It’s a fun weekend. A lot of people come out to experience it and there’s not a lot of preparation for it."

Six players -- four from the East and two from the West -- will make their All-Star Game debuts on Sunday, and Minnesota's Sam Cassell, for one, can't understand what the holdup was.

"I don’t know why it took this long," lamented Cassell, now in his 11th season and averaging 21.1 points and 7.8 assists for the Wolves. "I mean, I’m not a bad guy ... I sort of feel like a new-age version of Rod Strickland. I never understood why he didn’t make it."

Hornets center Jamaal Magloire, posting 12.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, expected his All-Star selection as well.

"I said in the summertime before I left Toronto, I said to my mom and dad, 'I'm going to be an All-Star this year.' And I had that mentality from that day forward and I knew in the back of my mind that I had a good chance to be here, and I'm glad I'm here now."

Other players, however, were pleasantly surprised.

"I didn’t expect it this soon," said third-year Bucks guard Michael Redd. "I expected to be an All-Star player eventually in my career, but not this soon. Was I a little surprised when I heard? A little bit – just happy to be involved with it. It was such a great honor to be picked by coaches because they see night after night who’s being consistent, who’s playing well, who’s doing what."

Pacers forward Ron Artest concurred.

"It’s fun. I’ve never experienced it. I still feel like I’m a little kid, watching it on TV, and following my favorite players. I’m still watching, but now I’m playing in it, so it’s kind of weird."

Utah's Andrei Kirilenko and New Jersey's Kenyon Martin will also make their first All-Star appearances.

Not new to the All-Star proceedings are Western Conference centers Yao Ming (16.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg) and Shaquille O'Neal (20.8 ppg, 10.9 rpg), who were separated by just 30,000 votes in the closest race among the final starters balloting.

But even though Yao edged Shaq for the starting job, the daddy isn't quite ready to relinquish his title as the NBA's most dominant big man.

"Most dominant is a term that, to me, it’s all about banging," said O'Neal. "It’s all about how you play and all about getting them to change the rules. I’ve been here 10 years and I’ve made them change the rules two times. Yao’s a great player, he’s a great sport. Being dominant is being mean, throwing elbows, talking trash, cursing and all that attitude "

Yao, with his usual off-court deference, agreed.

"I think every other player is in Shaq’s shadow," he said. "For me, I think the most important thing is experience. Having accumulated experience playing against him has helped."

But Shaq was also quick to praise the 23-year-old Yao's skills and potential with a less-than-conservative prediction.

"Will he be one of the greatest in terms of playing the game? Definitely."

Selected as a reserve for the West, Sacramento's Brad Miller is the only player in this year's All-Star Game who played for the opposing squad last year, when he made the East team as a member of the Indiana Pacers.

"It was one of those tough situations," said Miller of the trade that sent him to the Kings. "I really didn’t want to leave. Indiana has some great players and they’re doing well, but I’ve been able to come to Sacramento, fit in with the guys and have a pretty good season so far."

Former teammate Ron Artest hasn't been surprised to see Miller's continued success among the skilled big men in the West.

"I’m not surprised, because he’s a smart player. He knows how to pass, he knows how to score, he knows how to take what the game gives him. That’s what he brought us."

Peja Stojakovic, Miller's All-Star teammate in Sacramento and an MVP candidate, was more blunt.

"The addition of Brad Miller is the main reason we have played as well as we have so far."