| The smallest All-Star stood tallest. Allen Iverson, using blazing speed to weave his way through the NBA's giants, led a furious fourth-quarter rally that gave the Eastern Conference a 111-110 victory over the Western Conference in the 50th All-Star Game. Barely six feet tall and 165 pounds, Iverson was a terror in the final period, when he scored 15 of his 25 points and made three steals as he led the East back from a 21-point deficit with just over nine minutes to play. Iverson simply was too small and too quick for the bigger West, which featured six players 6-10 or taller. The Philadelphia 76ers superstar pushed the tempo to a breakneck pace that had the West -- which had dominated the entire game -- looking as if it was stuck in mud. "It's not about the size on paper," Iverson said. "It's about the size of your heart." "I've got tremendous admiration for him," said West coach Rick Adelman of Sacramento. "I thought the fourth quarter was typical of the way he plays. He's just fearless in the way he attacks the basket and takes it there." A Virginia native who played collegiately at nearby Georgetown, Iverson completed his hero's homecoming by winning Most Valuable Player honors. He received the trophy from NBA commissioner David Stern, who earlier this season admonished Iverson for releasing a rap album with offensive lyrics. "You showed that great play can be wrapped, if you'll pardon the expression, in very small packages," Stern said. Iverson immediately sought out ... |
