Westbrook has 41, West edges East in NBA All-Star Game

Eastern Conference center Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks (15, left) dribbles against Western Conference center DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings (15, right) during the second half of the 2015 NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, February 15, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

President Bill Clinton, who had a big night of his own at Madison Square Garden when he was nominated here during the 1992 Democratic National Convention, got a pair of loud ovations when he was shown during Queen Latifah's performance of the national anthem.

Big brother Pau Gasol won the jump ball against Marc to begin the first All-Star game featuring two sibling starters, but for a while it looked as if that would be the East's only win of the night.

The West shot out to a 20-point lead behind a record 27 first-half points from Westbrook, but the East chipped away and cut it to 83-82 before pop star Ariana Grande's halftime performance.

It was 122-all after three and close throughout the fourth.

It was New York's first time hosting the weekend since 1998 and a rare journey to the north for the NBA, which has preferred to stage the festivities in the warmth of the South and West.

Even some of the NBA's most fashionable had to choose bundling up over dressing up, a concession to the frigid temperatures they faced during the weekend. But next year might be worse, when the game heads north of the border to Toronto.

Carmelo Anthony struggled to 14 points on 6-of-20 shooting for the East in what may have been his final game of the season. The Knicks star has been battling a sore knee for much of the season and may opt for surgery with the team owning the NBA's worst record.