And Curry hadn't stepped out of bounds with that ball; he'd even tipped it back in.

Tang Tian arrived fashionably late and took possession of the ball.

Curry had by then run to the three-point line, and Tang Tian passed him the ball.

Curry caught the ball and took a three-point shot.

Perhaps the dunk from earlier had messed with his mentality because his best shot…was an air ball!

This time, it wasn't just the commentators laughing; the fans at the sidelines were cracking up too.

Was Curry trying to be funny?

Sure, he was a bit of a goofball sometimes, but this was a bit much!

Popovich couldn't help but laugh at the sidelines.

O'Neal was having the time of his life.

He and TNT were planning a show called "Shaqtin' a Fool," and Curry was handing him ready-made material!

Curry's moment, though a bit embarrassing and not intentional, had an explosive effect.

The crowd's interest was immediately piqued.

And as if to cooperate with Curry's performance, James missed his sixth three-pointer of the game, an air ball as well after Durant contested it.

The whistles from the crowd were incessant.

This All-Star Game was turning out to be quite different!

Amidst the laughter, Tang Tian hit a pull-up three-pointer, his third of the quarter!

George was really letting him have it, but Tang Tian's three-pointers were deadly accurate.

With those three shots, his score soared to 30 points.

And the Western team pulled ahead by eight points.

Tang Tian had his touch, and Kobe and Curry started looking for him again.

Durant, though unwilling, had missed his chances earlier and could only watch as Tang Tian kept shooting and scoring.

Tang Tian scored another 12 points in the third quarter, bringing his personal score to 33.

But the Eastern team was strong this year, and they closed the gap in the latter half of the quarter, tying the score at 125 going into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter opened as a scoring duel between Anthony and Griffin.

Griffin was the only big man in the starting lineup and in his prime; he hadn't played much before, so he was full of energy.

Anthony was much the same.

Griffin dunked one, and Anthony pulled up for one.

Griffin hit a shot, and Anthony pulled up for another.

The fans at the sidelines were thoroughly enjoying their scoring battle.

As the final minutes approached, both teams gradually brought back their starters.

The Western team led 146 to 145, a one-point lead.

The players on the court with the most points:

For the Eastern team, Anthony with 30 points, Irving with 27, James with 22, and George with 18.

For the Western team, Tang Tian with 33 points, Griffin with 30, Durant with 21, and Curry with 19.

It was time for the real game to begin.

Durant received the ball and attacked the basket, but James blocked his shot, and it went wide.

He'd taken a lot of shots tonight, but his efficiency against James was really low.

The Eastern team countered, James assisting Irving, who flew in for a layup and his 29th point.

Though not teammates, their cooperation seemed surprisingly smooth.

The Eastern team retook the lead.

Many fans stood up at this point; the part of the All-Star Game where they actually played was what they loved most.

Durant aggressively postured for the ball again, but Kobe didn't give it to him, instead signaling for Tang Tian to come get it.

Kobe didn't need to give anyone face.

George gave Tang Tian tight defense after he received the ball.

Tang Tian lowered his body, dribbled, and made a crossover.

George stuck close.

Tang Tian followed with a sudden stop and pull-up jumper.

George leaped out to contest.

"Swish!"

It was well-defended, but Tang Tian still made the shot.

He'd spent the whole night warming up, and his touch was perfect.

James had a three-point opportunity at the arc, his seventh three-point attempt of the game.

"Clang!"

Still no luck!

His touch from beyond the arc tonight was as cold as the Arctic Ocean.

Kobe grabbed the defensive rebound and threw it ahead to Curry, who was streaking down the court.

Curry accelerated past Irving to the frontcourt, but seeing the wide-open court, he felt a bit of hesitation.

Seeing Tang Tian following behind, he simply passed the ball over.

Tang Tian caught the ball, faked out the chasing George, and launched a three-pointer.

"Swish!"

Another one!

His touch was on fire!

That three-pointer was crucial, extending the Western team's lead to four points.

With less than a minute left, the Eastern team was running out of time, and they started gambling on three-pointers.

The ball went to Anthony, who was 8 for 12 from beyond the arc tonight, his touch explosive.

But Griffin leaped out to contest, and Anthony's 13th three-point attempt went wide.

Durant secured the defensive rebound and drove all the way to the frontcourt for a score.

The game was basically over at that point.

The Eastern team failed to seize their last chance and lost 149 to 155.

For the Eastern team, Irving scored 31 points and Anthony 30; both missed out on the MVP.

On the Western team, Tang Tian scored the most.

He was 16 for 23 from the field, 6 for 9 from beyond the arc, and scored a game-high 38 points, including the final five points!

Griffin had 30 points and Durant 25.

This year, no player had stats as impressive as Paul's double-double last year, so the MVP was basically going to Tang Tian, who had the most points.

Realizing this, the fans erupted in deafening cheers as the game ended.

What could be more exciting than seeing their team's star win the MVP in their home arena?

As the game ended, the players exchanged the final handshakes.

"Tang, congratulations."

Irving, as one of the brothers of hard work, was the first to congratulate Tang Tian.

"You played great."

George was one of the players who had been beaten by Tang Tian at this year's All-Star Weekend, and his expression was almost like a fanboy when he spoke.

"We'll have a chance to eat together."

Westbrook continued with his plans.

James's expression, however, was a bit complicated.

That second-round pick who had been looked down upon by him and the Heat's management had grown from a role player into a superstar.

Though the All-Star Game MVP was the least prestigious of all MVPs, it was still an MVP.

After the handshakes, Adam Silver came out.

The arena was filled with boos.

The league hadn't publicly acknowledged the blocking of Chinese votes during the All-Star selections, but the news had leaked out.

Silver had become a target of fans' complaints.

Especially for Pelicans fans, because it was their team's Tang Tian who had his votes suppressed.

Silver's mental fortitude was pretty good; though he was being booed, he still faced it with a smile.

He took the envelope handed to him by a staff member, opened it, and announced,

"The 2014 NBA All-Star Game MVP is…Tang Tian."

The MVP was obvious; even if he didn't want to, he couldn't fake it.

When the result was announced, the boos turned into cheers.

Tang Tian became the first All-Star Game MVP in Pelicans history!

Tang Tian took the MVP trophy from Silver's hands, feeling quite pleased.

He knew Silver must be unhappy right now, but he had to watch you be unhappy and still present the award to me, and he had to pretend to be very happy.

That feeling was really something!

Chapter 230 MVP