When Sunday's game was to be decided in the final minutes, fans were given the perfect matchup: the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant versus the Miami Heat's LeBron James, two stars in the post-Michael Jordan era often compared to him.The day was already significant, as the collection of the N.B.A.'s best talent played on Jordan's 50th birthday. Bryant began the final three minutes of the game with an offensive rebound. He then made a pretty crossover to get by the Heat's Chris Bosh that led to a sweeping layup. On his way to play defense, Bryant sought out James, who was bringing the ball up court.
Bryant switched onto James. James tried to dribble past Bryant. They each worked to outplay the other, with Bryant winning this battle when he blocked James's long jumper. Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant turned Bryant's defensive highlight, one of a few, into an offensive highlight with a one-handed dunk. It gave the West a 10-point lead with two minutes 33 seconds left and helped seal a 143-138 victory over the East at the Toyota Centre. "I'm known for my defense," Bryant said of his block. "I can defend. I'm pretty smart with my defense."
