NBA All-Star Game 2012: Dwight Howard Finishes Just Short of Double-Double as East Falls

In his sixth NBA All-Star Game, Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard tallied nine points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and a blocked shot as his Eastern Conference squad fell to the Western Conference, 152-149. Howard shot just 4-of-9 from the field owing to his missing all four of his three-point attempts.

Perhaps because he's the host city's lone representative in the game, Howard had great odds to earn Most Valuable Player honors at 15/2, according to SB Nation partner OddsShark.com; only LeBron James (13/2) had better odds. However, Howard didn't make much of an impact in the game, which tends to favor perimeter play.

"In these type of games, it's harder for the big guys because it's such an up-and-down game," East coach Tom Thibodeau of the Chicago Bulls said. "The ball is in the hands of the perimeter players more."

When asked about Howard's three-point shooting, Thibodeau said only, "Yeah, well, he's pretty confident."

Howard fared better in the 2012 game than he did during the 2011 contest in Los Angeles, wherein he shot 2-of-4 for five points and seven rebounds. His finest All-Star performance remains his debut in Las Vegas in 2007, when he posted 20 points and 12 rebounds off the bench.

Kevin Durant took home the first All-Star MVP award of his career as he led the West with 36 points in a game-high 37 minutes. Durant also added seven rebounds and three assists.

We invite you to follow Orlando Pinstriped Post on Twitter and like Orlando Pinstriped Post on Facebook.