"We really wanted this win," James said.
"To add the MVP trophy with the win means a lot to me. Competitive-wise, it was the best one.
"You could probably see on all the guys' faces in the fourth quarter how bad we all wanted it."
The West fell behind 95-79 in the third quarter but Chris Paul and Amare Stoudemire ignited a comeback, Dallas Mavericks' German forward Dirk Nowitzki gaving the West their first lead at 112-110 with 6:52 to play, completing a 17-2 West run.
However Allen, an eight-time All-Star, turned the game from 3-point range when it mattered most, hitting three 3-pointers to finish 5-of-9 from beyond the arc and adding a layup and three free throws in the final seconds to secure victory.
Allen on fire
"It has probably been my best All-Star Game," Allen said.
"I was feeling good out there. I knew I was going to get some good shots off. It was just a matter of whether or not I made them."
Allen made shot after shot to keep the game tight, setting the stage for the final drama.
"Ray just got hot. I couldn't believe how hot he was."
Amare Stoudemire |
"Ray just got hot. I couldn't believe how hot he was," said Stoudemire.
"We came up with an incredible run in the fourth quarter but Ray kept them in the game."
After Allen's trio of 3-pointers, James put the East ahead for good with a drive to the basket for a slam dunk over two defenders with 55 seconds to play.
"I wanted to try and be aggressive, go to the hole and try to get a foul or a layup," James said.
"I saw those bigs and I didn't want to pull up. I wanted to go strong and I was able to dunk it through.
"We did a good job of executing. Ray hit some of the biggest shots of the game and I put the finishing touch on it with the dunk."
The victory, which was the third for the East in four years, lifted their record over the West in the all-time rivalry to 35-22.