Twice in the final 10 seconds of Sunday's All-Star Game, the West took timeouts. On both occasions, they trailed the East by two points and George Karl drew up plays for a potentially game-winning shot.
The first found the hands of Dirk Nowitzki, who was fouled and made both free throws, and the second play saw Carmelo Anthony miss a 3-pointer as the clock expired.
The East will have breathed a big sigh of relief - and not just because they had held on for the 141-139 victory. Much of the relief will have stemmed from the fact that on both plays, Chauncey Billups did not get to shoot the ball.
Billups poured in 14 points in the fourth quarter and hit five triples on the night. As always, he was thriving in the pressure situations and did as much as anyone to close the East's lead in the second half.
The most obvious play - and perhaps one that Karl discussed or even tried to set up - was to get Billups open on the perimeter. Sadly, it did not work out that way and players whose reputations seem to place them ahead of Billups in the pecking order took the final shots.
Nowitzki and Anthony have hit their fair share of game-winners, of course, but Billups has a ring and a Finals MVP trophy and bizarrely that seems to be overlooked at times.
When it comes to clutch shooting there are few who can match Mr. Big Shot and that explains why Stan Van Gundy and the East players looked so happy to see the ball out of Billups' hands with the game on the line.
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