WEST 154, EAST 149 (OT), at The Kingdome (Seattle)
ATTENDANCE: 34,275
MVP: Tom Chambers, Seattle SuperSonics
As the highest-scoring All-Star Game in history, the 1987 game is one of the all-time classics and had a great hometown storyline, too. Tom Chambers of the Sonics — a late roster fill-in for the Rockets’ Ralph Sampson — got some help from Magic Johnson to become MVP of the game. Chambers scored 34 points and had four steals as the West topped the East 154-149 in overtime.
Johnson totaled 13 assists, seven rebounds and scored just nine points as he looked to dish to Chambers as often as possible. The West’s win was also keyed by the play of reserve Rolando Blackman, who had 29 points on 9-for-15 shooting.
The game set All-Star records for combined points (303) and free throws made (71 — West 39, East 32). Additionally, the West’s 154 points are the second-most scored by a team in the All-Star Game and the teams’ 51 combined offensive rebounds (West 28, East 23) is the second-highest ever.
Roster-wise in the East, there were some significant changes. Future MVP and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley made his All-Star debut with the Sixers, scoring seven points off the bench. Starting center Moses Malone, a longtime icon with the Sixers, made the first of two consecutive All-Star appearances as a member of the Bullets. Finally, this was the last All-Star Game for Sixers legend Julius Erving. He started the game for the East and had 22 points, four rebounds and five assists.
At the Dunk Contest, Michael Jordan wowed the crowd with a wide variety of acrobatic dunks — some never seen before on that stage — to claim his first of two consecutive dunk titles. Larry Bird repeated as the 3-Point Shootout, his second of three straight titles in the event.
All-Star Game rosters
Eastern Conference
Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls)
Dominique Wilkins (Atlanta Hawks)
Moses Malone (Washington Bullets)
Julius Erving (Philadelphia 76ers)
Larry Bird (Boston Celtics)
Robert Parish (Boston Celtics)
Kevin McHale (Boston Celtics)
Charles Barkley (Philadelphia 76ers)
Maurice Cheeks (Philadelphia 76ers)
Isiah Thomas (Detroit Pistons)
Bill Laimbeer (Detroit Pistons)
Jeff Malone (Washington Bullets)
Coach: K.C. Jones (Boston Celtics)
Western Conference
Magic Johnson (L.A. Lakers)*
Alvin Robertson (San Antonio Spurs)
Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets)
James Worthy (L.A. Lakers)
Tom Chambers (Seattle SuperSonics)
Sleepy Floyd (Golden State Warriors)
Joe Barry Carroll (Golden State Warriors)
Rolando Blackman (Dallas Mavericks)
Mark Aguirre (Dallas Mavericks)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (L.A. Lakers)**
Walter Davis (Phoenix Suns)
Alex English (Denver Nuggets)
Coach: Pat Riley (Los Angeles Lakers)
All-Star Weekend Wrap
NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
NBA 3-Point Shootout winner: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
NOTE: * = missed game due to injury; ** = injury replacement
