History

1972 NBA All-Star recap

Jerry West hits the tie-breaking jumper with 1 second left, lifting the West to a 112-110 victory.

From NBA.com Staff

September 13, 2021 12:53 PM

WEST 112, EAST 110, at The Forum (Inglewood, Calif.)

ATTENDANCE: 17,214

MVP: Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers

With the 1959 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player Award and the 1969 Finals MVP under his belt already, Jerry West added one last award to his list of accomplishments in 1972: All-Star Game MVP.

Though he had just 13 points in the game, it was his tie-breaking jumper from the top of the key with 1 second left that lifted the West to the 112-110 win at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif.

His late-game heroics overshadowed some other solid performances in the game, including those by the East’s Dave Cowens (14 points, 20 rebounds) and Billy Cunningham (14 points, 10 rebounds).

Cowens, a future MVP and Hall of Famer, made his All-Star debut in this game. Center Bob Lanier, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992, made his debut in this All-Star Game, too. The Rockets, which relocated from San Diego to Houston before the 1971-72 season, had their first Houston-era All-Star in Elvin Hayes.