LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James and Kevin Durant swarmed all over Stephen Curry in the final seconds, preventing the NBA’s best shooter from finding even a patch of open air to launch a tying 3-pointer.

Defense? In an All-Star Game?

That was just one of the many exciting surprises created by a big change to the league’s midseason showcase. After James and Curry got to draft their own teams, this exhibition really seemed to matter to basketball’s best.

And LeBron picked a winner.

James scored 29 points and hit the go-ahead layup with 34.5 seconds to play, winning his third All-Star Game MVP award while his team rallied to win an uncommonly entertaining edition of the event, beating Team Stephen 148-145 Sunday night.

For the first time in 67 All-Star games, the league abandoned the traditional East-West format used since 1951, instead allowing the two captains to pick their sides. That twist turned a sometimes staid event into the world’s richest pickup game, and the intrigue was reflected on the Staples Center court, where a real basketball game broke out.

“I think the format was great,” said James, who added 10 rebounds and eight assists in front of LA fans salivating at the still-remote possibility of the Lakers landing the superstar as a free agent this summer.