Okur scores 4 points in all-star debut

LAS VEGAS — Back when Kobe Bryant was just a pup, playing his first NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden, Kevin Garnett took care of the Los Angeles Laker.

Sunday night in Las Vegas, Garnett did the same for another first-time All-Star — the Jazz's Mehmet Okur, who scored both of his field goals off passes from the veteran Minnesota Timberwolves big man.

"I told (Okur) I was gonna look out for him," Garnett said. "I helped Kobe when we was in New York. I helped Kobe sort of relax, and be at ease a little bit. I wanted to make sure I did the same for Memo."

One of Bryant's old Laker teammates, however, took a different tack in the Western Conference's 153-132 win over the East at Thomas & Mack Center.

With the West comfortably ahead 127-100 early in the fourth quarter, Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal found himself practically alone with the ball just over halfcourt.

Only Okur stood between him and the basket, and the so-called Big Diesel was revving his engine.

For as much as Garnett wanted to help settle Okur, there was nothing he could do to keep the freight train from making a beeline for the basket. Okur, though, never blinked. In fact, he actually laughed, knowing all eyes were on him and O'Neal.

Okur, normally not a gambling man, bet that Shaq would not try to drive 1-on-1 from so high up — and got down into a defensive stance that would have made even Jazz coach Jerry Sloan beam with pride.

"I knew he was gonna take the shot," Okur said, "so I tried to stay in front of him.

"He's got the moves he tried to do on me," he added. "I knew he was gonna do something, like pull up, or like maybe between the legs, maybe turnaround jumper over my hand."

As it turned out, O'Neal simply pulled up and tried a 20-footer that missed the mark.

Okur smiled, Shaq laughed back and — with what was perhaps the second-most entertaining moment of the evening, trailing only the guy who juggled a basketball, a bowling ball and a peanut M&M during a timeout break — a good time was had by all.

"It was fun out there," Okur said.

Early on, though, the joy of taking part in such a scripted showcase event amounted to little more than a long game of hurry up and wait for the 27-year-old Turk.

"It is hard," he said. "You get warmed up, then you stay in the locker room, you got cold, again sit down on the bench."