10:45 - As if to show they mean business, Eddie Jordan has put JJ back in the game to help get the East back into the game. His faith is rewarded as Joe immediately hits a three from the elbow. Mehmet Okur answers for the West, and now its 123-94. Okur hasn't played much today, but he is the first NBA All-Star from a country pronounced like a food. Chile, hang in there, you'll get one someday.

10:48 - Does it sound like I have a man-crush on Shaq? It just may. Amazingly, despite all the action on the court, it appears he found time to sneak away to a computer and see that I advocated he try to take someone off the dribble. Never one to disappoint me, Shaq just dribbled the ball up the court and tried to take Okur with a few crossover moves at the top of the key. Sadly, his jumper was off target, or this place would have really erupted.

10:50 - Joe down the lane for two more, cutting the deficit to 27 with 8 minutes to go. They just showed Dave Chappelle again on the jumbotron. Please let me end up at whatever party he is at tonight. Or let me end up at any party.

10:53 - MVP update. Kobe just scored five straight, he now has his jersey number, 24. But Stoudemire just returned to the lineup. It's pretty much between the two of them at this point. Also, Caron Butler comes in to replace Joe (thanks coach!). With 6:20 left to play, that may have been the last we see of JJ, who I think acquitted himself well in his limited minutes. He'll be back for more of these.

10:56 - Whoops! Spoke too soon. JJ is still in the game, and just dribbled between most of the Western "defense" for a nifty left-handed reverse. He is now 4-5 from the field for 10 points. Huzzah!

11:00 - I am enjoying doing this blog, but it has been hard to follow the action every now and then when I have been staring at the computer. Apparently, I just missed perhaps the highlight of the night, as during the break the Flying Elvises (possibly not their real name) performed a trampoline dunk routine. I wasn't watching, but at the very end, Gilbert Arenas came out and jumped off the trampoline, put the ball between his legs, and rammed it home. Please, please let that be on Sportscenter later or something, it sounded really cool.

11:07 - Just over two minutes left to play, and the West leads 147-123. I'm just going to go ahead and say it - LeBron is being a ballhog. Boooooooo.

11:09 - OH MY GOD. JOE DUNKED! Sorry for the caps there, but it's just not something he does very often. This is probably as good a time as any to mention this:

I think we all agree that Joe is heavily underrated by the general public, witness his lack of support in the All-Star voting. Well, I figured out how we can get him more notoriety - he needs to grow an old school, Dr. J-style chin goatee, like three inches long or so. It would be so tight. I decided to explain my plan to him at practice last week before they left for the road trip, and I am sad to say it's a no go. Not because he didn't like the idea, but because he can't grow the facial hair required! Dooop!

I won't give up though - he is only 25, he may still be able to pull it off if he starts shaving more.

11:12 - And that's your ballgame! The West wins 153-132 over the East, let by Kobe's 31 points. I will assume he gets the MVP award. Joe ends up with 12 points, and he played for most of (if not the entirety of) the fourth quarter. Just for that, I won't prank call Eddie Jordan's hotel room later on tonight.

Ok kids, it's been fun. I hope you enjoyed the game - it was fun from here (and they are now announcing Kobe as the MVP. The crowd is reacting much more favorably to it than the Philly crowd did in 2002, but I guess that's not much of a surprise. George Bush probably gets a better reception in the Middle East than most people get in Philly.

Back with some wrap up in a bit!