Bryant scores 37 for MVP; Amar'e gets 29

LOS ANGELES - Kobe Bryant won his record-tying fourth NBA All-Star Game MVP award Sunday night, to the delight of his hometown fans, scoring 37 points and leading the West to a 148-143 win over the East.

Amar'e Stoudemire - the first Knick to start in an All-Star Game since Patrick Ewing in 1992 - scored 29 points for the East. (Ewing was voted a starter in 1997 but was injured and did not play.)

Bryant also grabbed 14 rebounds and overcame LeBron James' triple-double for the East. James had 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Kevin Durant had 34 points for the West, scoring five straight after the East cut a 17-point deficit after three quarters to two points with 2:34 to play. He added the clinching free throws after the East got back within three in the final seconds.

Clearly pushing for another trophy against an East roster stacked with Celtics and Heat players, Bryant tied Bob Pettit's NBA record with his fourth MVP award in just 10 years.

"Being at home, I wanted to come out and play hard, put on a good show," said Bryant, 32. "This will be my last All-Star Game in front of these home fans, so it feels good to be here."

Bryant gave the Los Angeles crowd another memory to go with Clippers rookie Blake Griffin's win in the dunk contest Saturday. But he didn't score in the final 6:48, falling short of Wilt Chamberlain's All-Star Game record of 42 points in 1962.

Bryant won the All-Star MVP trophy in 2002 and 2007 before sharing it with Shaquille O'Neal in 2009. Pettit won four MVP awards with the St. Louis Hawks from 1956-62.

The West maintained a steady lead against an East team with a combined seven players from Boston and Miami, arguably the top contenders to replace the back-to-back champion Lakers.

Back-to-back baskets by Stoudemire and James trimmed the margin to 142-140 in the final moments. Bryant then missed a jumper, but Pau Gasol tipped home the rebound. After two free throws by Chris Paul, Ray Allen hit a three-pointer with 9.9 seconds left, but Durant finished it with two free throws.

Boston placed a record-tying four players on the squad, led by 14-time All-Star Kevin Garnett. The Heat sent league MVP James alongside Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, last season's All-Star MVP in the East's two-point win at Cowboys Stadium. Wade limped off in the third quarter with an ankle injury Sunday night after scoring 14 points.

Carmelo Anthony had eight points and seven rebounds in less than 23 minutes as a West starter. He also picked up three early fouls - no small feat in a game in which officials typically swallow their whistles. He got a smattering of boos in the first quarter when he chose a layup over a dunk on a breakaway.