EAST 120, WEST 118, at Continental Airlines Arena (N.J.)
ATTENDANCE: 20,149
MVP: Larry Bird (Boston Celtics)
With an NBA championship already under his belt and his legend growing with each game, Larry Bird put on one of his clutch performances in the 1982 All-Star Game at Continental Airlines Arena. Bird finished with 19 points, scoring 12 of the East’s final 15 points down the stretch, to net MVP honors. Bird had 12 rebounds, five assists and shot 7-for-12, too.
Gus Williams (22 points, nine rebounds), Magic Johnson (16 points, seven assists) and Moses Malone (12 points, 11 rebounds) did all they could to keep the West in the game and helped it climb out of a first-half hole.
Pistons rookie Isiah Thomas — a future rival of Bird and the Celtics — made his debut in this game, scoring 12 points in 17 minutes as a starter for the East. In the West, Denver star (and future Hall of Famer) Alex English made his first All-Star appearance, finishing with four points and five rebounds. Hall of Famer and former Pistons star Bob Lanier ended his All-Star career in this game as a representative of the Bucks.
All-Star Game rosters
Eastern Conference
Isiah Thomas (Detroit Pistons)
Nate Archibald (Boston Celtics)
Artis Gilmore (Chicago Bulls)
Larry Bird (Boston Celtics)
Julius Erving (Philadelphia 76ers)
Bobby Jones (Philadelphia 76ers)
Sidney Moncrief (Milwaukee Bucks)
Bob Lanier (Milwaukee Bucks)
Buck Williams (New Jersey Nets)
Robert Parish (Boston Celtics)
Michael Ray Richardson (New York Knicks)
Kelly Tripucka (Detroit Pistons)**
Dan Roundfield (Atlanta Hawks)*
Coach: Bill Fitch (Boston Celtics)
Western Conference
George Gervin (San Antonio Spurs)
Gus Williams (Seattle SuperSonics)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (L.A. Lakers)
Adrian Dantley (Utah Jazz)
Lonnie Shelton (Seattle SuperSonics)
Jack Sikma (Seattle SuperSonics)
Magic Johnson (L.A. Lakers)
Norm Nixon (L.A. Lakers)
Moses Malone (Houston Rockets)
Dennis Johnson (Phoenix Suns)
Bernard King (Golden State Warriors)
Alex English (Denver Nuggets)
Coach: Pat Riley (Los Angeles Lakers)
NOTE: * = missed game due to injury; ** = injury replacement
