Nash, West Squad Hold On Over East

In a down-to-the-wire finish at the 2012 NBA All-Star Game, the West held off a late surge by the East to capture a 152-149 victory in Orlando on Sunday.

The Suns lone representative, point guard Steve Nash, racked up four assists in five minutes during his eighth career All-Star appearance. He was also the only player to not take a shot in the contest.

Of his playing time, Nash said that he talked to West All-Star Head Coach Scott Brooks before the game and told him that he had no problem deferring his minutes to others.

"He asked and I said, 'Take care of the guys and to do whatever you want,'" the Suns point guard stated. "It’s a tough job trying to play 12 guys. I told him I was fine being on the short end and being the last one."

The West exploded for 88 points in the first half, breaking the All-Star record for most points in half, which is a record that has stood since 1989. The Thunder's Kevin Durant led the West with 46 points, while the Lakers' Kobe Bryant added 27. Miami's LeBron James led the Easst in scoring with 36, while fellow teammate Dwyane Wade added 24.

“The way LeBron was shooting the ball was insane," Nash said. “He was great and I thought we saw a lot of great things from everybody. The way Kobe started the game (was great) and Kevin Durant was unbelievable.”

The big winner on the night was Bryant, who passed Hall of Famer Michael Jordan as the All-Star Game’s all-time leading scorer. Nash, as well as the crowd on hand, were also all impressed with the athleticism displayed by Blake Griffin and Russell Westbrook.

All-Star Games are typically an all-offensive display until the final minutes, with this particular contest being no exception. However, when it came time to play defense, Nash noted that a complete 180 reversal occurred when the game was on the line.

“So the end of the game, you’re playing with the best offensive players in the world and you can’t get a shot off,” he said. “It’s unbelievable how good the defense is at the end of the game when you’ve got that much size, length and athleticism. You’re looking at some of the best players to ever play the game and they’re having a hard time seeing the basket."

At 38 years-old, some speculate that this could be Nash's final All-Star appearance. But at least one person isn't completely convinced of that.

"This could very well be my last, but I wouldn’t put it past me to come back. So I think I could very well be back, but if it is the last, I had a blast and it’s been a great run coming to All-Star Weekend."

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