Russell Westbrook was the brightest All-Star in the Big Apple. Westbrook scored 41 points — one shy of Wilt Chamberlain's 53-year-old record — and was selected MVP of the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night after leading the West to a 163-158 win over the East at Madison Square Garden.

Oklahoma City's flashy point guard set a record with 27 first-half points and nearly topped Chamberlain's mark set in 1962. Westbrook didn't realize he was within reach of Chamberlain until it was too late and the West was trying to maintain its lead. "I missed about six or seven layups," he said. "I could definitely have had it."

Westbrook is a showman and he delivered a scintillating performance on basketball's biggest stage, pleasing a crowd that included president Bill Clinton, Jay Z, Beyonce and some of the game's all-time greats.