West Holds Off the East After Bryant Overtakes Jordan ORLANDO, Fla. - Kobe Bryant is still soaring, perhaps not as high as he once did or with the same ease and flair, but rising nonetheless, expanding his reach and his legacy. On a stage flooded with supreme talents, Bryant set himself apart once more Sunday evening, scoring 27 points to surpass Michael Jordan as the most prolific scorer in the history of the N.B.A. All-Star Game. Kevin Durant and LeBron James produced greater numbers, scoring 36 points each. Durant took home the most valuable player award, his first, after leading the West to a 152-149 win. But it was Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers star, who etched his name into All-Star lore, pushing his career scoring total to 278 points despite a blow to the head from Dwyane Wade early in the third quarter. Bryant was experiencing headaches after the game, according to an N.B.A. spokesman, and did not speak to the news media. Bryant was to be evaluated at a local hospital before being permitted to fly home. It was not until long after the final buzzer that players and coaches realized that Bryant was injured. He scored 9 points after the hard foul from Wade and played 7 minutes 55 seconds of the fourth quarter. "I knew he got hit in the nose and had a bloody nose," said Scott Brooks, the Western Conference coach, "but other than that, I didn't think it was bothering him. That's the type of guy he is. He's not going to let anybody know that he was in pain or had any issues. Bryant, 33, began the game in fourth place on the career scoring list. He surpassed Oscar Robertson (246) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (251) before eclipsing Jordan, with a flying, two-handed dunk in the third quarter. "It's great being a little piece of history," said Wade, who guarded Bryant for much of the game. He's one of the best of all time. We will one day say we had an honor of playing against one of the greatest players to play the game of basketball. Wade acknowledged Bryant's auspicious record, then chuckled as he considered Durant's exploits. "That record that he got, with K.D. in the league, I don't know how long it's going to last," Wade said. The 23-year-old Durant has quickly become the league's most electrifying scorer, and he put on a nice show Sunday, going 14 for 25 from the field. He has 85 points in three All-Star appearances, and many more in his future. "Coming from where I come from, I didn't think I'd be here," Durant said. Everything has been a blessing to me. The game was looking like a rout for the West until the fourth quarter, when James led the East on a furious rally, cutting the deficit from 20 points to 1 by the 1:41 mark. Carmelo Anthony missed a potential tying 3-pointer with 23.9 seconds left, and Deron Williams missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer with 8.9 seconds left. The East's final chance was snuffed when James's ill-advised cross-court pass was stolen by Blake Griffin with 1.9 seconds left. Bryant appeared to chastise James, barking, "Come on, man!" as if he were disappointed with James's decision to pass. "He was telling me to shoot it," James confirmed. It was an unusual exchange, considering the two were on opposite teams, and that Bryant and James have never been particularly close. But Bryant is now an elder statesman, and he considers it his responsibility to teach the next generation of stars how to approach the game. James has often been faulted for his late-game decision making. "I definitely wish I could have that one back," James said. He declined to say what he thought of Bryant's mini-lecture. The evening was a mixture of self-celebration, showboating and sentimentality. Five members of the 1992 United States Dream Team - Magic Johnson, Clyde Drexler, Chris Mullin, David Robinson and Scottie Pippen - were honored in the third quarter. In a moving moment, the league paid tribute to Johnson, who 20 years ago earned All-Star MVP honors, just months after announcing that he had contracted the virus that causes AIDS. After a brief video of his performance, Johnson took the court to a standing ovation. By then, the current All-Stars had already put on a dunking exhibition that rivaled the actual dunk contest held a night earlier. The Miami teammates Wade and James fed each other for a series of layups and lob dunks, while Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook (21 points) tried ripping the rim down with every stylish throw-down. The West set a record with 88 points in the first half - 1.5 points more than the Charlotte Bobcats score per game - and fell 3 points short of the All-Star record for total points. The Knicks" Carmelo Anthony, who has been recovering from a variety of injuries, finished with 19 points in 30 minutes and one semi-awkward in-game interview. Asked about meshing with Jeremy Lin, the Knicks" new point-guard sensation, Anthony demurred, saying he was focused on the game. The All-Star game capped a banner weekend for the N.B.A., which has recovered quickly and spectacularly from a brutal labor dispute that nearly canceled the season. TNT reported excellent ratings for the first two nights of its All-Star broadcast. Orlando's Dwight Howard had 9 points Sunday and successfully skirted questions all weekend about his pending trade demand. Howard, in his role as unofficial host, took the microphone before the game, pointedly telling the crowd, "It's been great having you here in my city," and "We did it big for our city." For another day, at least, the city was still his to claim.