West cruises to 153-132 win over Eastin All-Star game; Bryant earns MVP

LAS VEGAS -- Viva Kobe Bryant and the best of the West.

Bryant, Carmelo Anthony & crew lit up the Strip with their own version of Showtime, romping past LeBron James and the East 153-132 Sunday night in the NBA All-Star game.

An event that some locals called the biggest thing to hit Las Vegas featured showgirls, acrobats, magicians and Elvis impersonators.

Then it was time for Bryant and his teammates to take over in the first All-Star game outside an NBA city.

Bryant scored 31 points, had six of the West's record 52 assists and was picked as the MVP. Amare Stoudemire added 29 points for the West, which quickly built a big lead and held it this time, a year after blowing a 21-point cushion in a loss in Houston.

Anthony, a late addition to the team, scored 20 points and Shawn Marion of Phoenix, who played at the Thomas & Mack Center at UNLV, added 18.

James scored 28 points for the East, and Dwight Howard had 20 points and 12 rebounds. The East barely shot 40 percent through three quarters in a game that isn't known for its defensive intensity before a late flurry during garbage time.

Dwyane Wade had only 10 points on 5-of-12 shooting, but he had reason to be tired after hosting events Thursday and Friday night. Those were two of the many functions that kept the players out until all hours of the night.

Still, the game was secondary to the show in this most unusual of All-Star games -- and it was quite a show.

With tickets unavailable to the public, brokers were asking more than $20,000 for a top seat. Jay-Z, Beyonce, Diddy, Prince, Eva Longoria and Adam Sandler were among those who scored spots in the front row, and Christina Aguilera and Toni Braxton performed at halftime.

The event started with a celebrity red carpet, where Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, flanked as usual by his showgirls and backed by entertainer Wayne Newton, vowed again to get the NBA here full-time with a new arena to play in.

Magicians Siegfried and Roy then welcomed the fans to Las Vegas, before introducing the showgirls who escorted Newton out to the stage for a performance of "Viva Las Vegas." After the East All-Stars were introduced, Newton took the stage again for another performance before the West players were announced.

After another Las Vegas entertainer, Danny Gans, sang the national anthem, it was finally time for some basketball.