Western Conference 143, Eastern Conference 138: Chris Paul recorded 20 points, 15 assists and four steals to claim MVP honors and lead the Western Conference to a victory in the 62nd NBA All-Star Game in Houston.

Kevin Durant, who scored 36 points to take the MVP in last season's West win in Orlando, led all scorers with 30 points. Paul's teammate with the Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin, added 19 points on nine dunks and a free throw.

Carmelo Anthony led the East with 26 points. Dwyane Wade had 21 and fellow Miami Heat star LeBron James added 19, but was outplayed by rival Kobe Bryant down the stretch. Paul George and Kyrie Irving, two of the East's six first-time All-Stars, had 17 and 15, respectively.

The West led by three with under four minutes remaining before Paul and company pulled away with an impressive sequence. First, Paul buried a 3-pointer to make it 132-126 and then Bryant, who had just nine points, got an offensive rebound before blowing by Chris Bosh for a pretty layup with 2:57 left.

Seconds later, Bryant emphatically blocked a James jumper at the top of the key and Durant picked up the loose ball and raced in unopposed for one of his many slam dunks and a 136-126 lead with 2:33 left. Paul's fourth 3-pointer gave the West a 139-128 advantage and Bryant forced another James turnover in the final minute to help hold off a late 3-point barrage by the East.

The West led for much of the first half, but never by more than eight points. Paul and Bryant combined for 16 assists in the half, most on dunks by Durant and Griffin, as their team took a 69-65 lead into the locker room.

The third quarter saw 12 lead changes and a total of 11 3-pointers as both teams heated up. James Harden, the lone representative of the hometown Rockets, hit two in a row to give the West a 104-98 advantage with 1:53 left in the third and added another early in the fourth to make it 113-104.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Bryant, who became the all-time leader with his 14th All-Star Game start, also moved from sixth to second in minutes played, now trailing only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. ... Both Paul and Tony Parker embarrassed Bosh in the first half by dribbling through the big man's legs. Bosh, who replaced the injured Rajon Rondo in the East's starting lineup, also had an airball during a 2-for-7, two-turnover first half. ... Boston's Kevin Garnett took and missed two shots in the first 90 seconds and never shot again, playing just six first-half minutes before sitting out the entire second half. ... Paul's 15 assists tie him with multiple players for fifth all-time in the event. Magic Johnson set the record with 22 in 1984. ... Harden had 11 of his 15 points in the second half. ... The West has won three straight and four of the last five. ... The teams combined for an All-Star Game-record 71 3-point tries.