DENVER, Colorado, 21 February 2005 — LeBron James made the squad this year, Vince Carter and Grant Hill are playing like they are worthy of their vote totals, and Shaquille O’Neal is on the team again.

All of that might be enough to get the Eastern Conference back in the win column in the All-Star Game.

The East tries to snap its three-game losing streak in the NBA’s midseason showcase Sunday night in Denver.

The balance of power in the NBA shifted to the Western Conference following Michael Jordan’s second retirement and the breakup of the Chicago Bulls following the 1998 season. Teams from the West won five straight championships before the Detroit Pistons surprised the Los Angeles Lakers in last season’s finals.

The West’s dominance has carried over into the All-Star Game. It has won four of the last five games, and would have a five-game winning streak if not for Allen Iverson leading the East back from a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit in the 2001 game.

Iverson, leading the NBA with 29.8 points per game, will be back in the East starting backcourt. He has plenty of help in the lineup, including an All-Star newcomer and the reigning All-Star game MVP.

Though he went on to win Rookie of the Year honors, James was left off the East team last year. There was no way that could happen this season as he ranks seventh in the league with 25.4 points per game, fifth with 7.7 assists and second with 2.3 steals. He’s also averaging 7.1 rebounds while leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to the third-best record in the East.

``It’s a great feeling to know that you have that many fans that respect the way you play the game,’’ James said of being voted a starter. ``It don’t get no better than that.’’

James cited a sore ankle and a bout with the flu as reasons he pulled out of the dunk contest, but he did manage to play in Friday’s Rookie Challenge and scored 20 points to help the sophomores win 133-106.

As James was forced to just watch last year’s All-Star game, O’Neal was winning MVP honors for the second time after scoring 24 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in front of the home fans in the West’s 136-132 victory in Los Angeles.

Traded to Miami in the offseason, O’Neal -- who shared the 2000 game MVP honors with Tim Duncan -- is back on the East team for the first time since 1996, his final season with Orlando. He leads the NBA in field goal percentage at 59.9 percent and has teamed with fellow All-Star Dwyane Wade to help the Heat to a big lead in the East.

The other starters are Carter and Hill, fan favorites who are perennially among the leaders in votes received. Both may have been elected to start no matter how they were playing, but they have proven to be back at All-Star form.

The West again has a height advantage at the forward spots.

Duncan and Kevin Garnett, who have both won regular-season and All-Star Game MVP awards, start up front along with Yao Ming. Kobe Bryant, MVP of the 2002 game that started the West’s winning streak, is joined in the backcourt by Tracy McGrady, who makes his first start for the West after appearing in the last four games — and starting three — for the East. Some of the NBA’s top teams are in the West, and they will be well represented Sunday night.

The Phoenix Suns, trailing only the San Antonio Spurs for the NBA’s best record, send Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion and league assists leader Steve Nash to Denver. Duncan and first-time All-Star Manu Ginobili are going from San Antonio, while Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis of surprise Northwest Division leader Seattle will play.

Starting Lineups: West — F Garnett, F Duncan, F Yao, G McGrady, G Bryant. East — F Hill, F Carter, C O’Neal, G Iverson, G James.

Meantime, Josh Smith of the Atlanta Hawks won the 2005 NBA dunk contest on Saturday as part of the All-Star weekend in Denver, Colorado.

The Hawks rookie scored a perfect 50 from judges on his first dunk of the night in the popular competition, a highlight of the league’s annual All-Star festivities. Smith wore the jersey of former Atlanta great Dominique Wilkins, then had another perfect score on his second dunk in his new Hawks jersey to win the event.

Phoenix Suns Amare Stoudemire finished second in the competition, which featured spectacular stunts, such as Smith taking a pass from Denver’s Kenyon Martin, who was seated in a chair, and dunking after sailing over his head.

Quentin Richardson of the Suns won the three-point shooting contest, making his last nine shots in the final.

Philadelphia’s Kyle Korver finished second, just one point behind Richardson.

Steve Nash of the Suns won the skills challenge, finishing the dribbling, passing and shooting course nearly 12 seconds faster than Earl Boykins of Denver.

Shawn Marion, Diana Taurasi and Dan Majerle of Phoenix completed a big night for Suns players by winning the shooting stars competition, making shots from six spots in just 28 seconds.

The All-Star game takes place on Sunday, with the leading players from the Eastern Conference meeting their counterparts from the West.