James dunk helps East pull away for All-Star win

MVP LeBron James scored 27 points, including a tie-breaking dunk, to help the East beat the West 134-128 in the NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans on Sunday.

Ray Allen added 28 points - half of them in the final three and a half minutes - for the East, who squandered a comfortable double-digit lead before clinching the win.

Carmelo Anthony, Brandon Roy and Amare Stoudemire each had 18 points for the West, with hometown favourite Chris Paul adding 16 points and 14 assists.

James slammed home his dunk with 55 seconds remaining to break a 125-125 tie to edge the East ahead.

Although James said he thought Allen deserved the MVP award, he said the honour would be a special memory for him.

"To add the MVP trophy to a win means a lot to me," James said.

"I played well and helped my team-mates win the ballgame. It really means a lot to go out there and perform the way I was able to do in front of the fans of New Orleans."

After James' dunk, layups by Dwyane Wade and Allen boosted the lead to 131-125.

Roy's three-pointer brought the West within three with eight seconds to play but Allen sealed the win with three free-throws.