NEW ORLEANS — Like tourists who flock here, a few All-Stars departed the Big Easy with souvenirs from a memorable weekend.

LeBron James took another MVP trophy back to Cleveland. Dwight Howard headed to Florida a much bigger star. Kobe Bryant left well-rested and nursing the same injured finger that made his visit strictly ceremonial.

Jason Kidd strolled out of New Orleans Arena a winner, but not exactly sure which uniform he’ll wear next.

And the NBA, a league with an eye on European expansion, boosted its image by helping New Orleans’ recovery.

For three days, superstars bowed to a city in need.

“The way the NBA reached out to the community is something I’ll never forget,” Hornets guard Chris Paul said.

Led by James and Ray Allen, the Eastern Conference outplayed their more trumpeted counterparts from the Western Conference and avenged a year-old beating with a 134-128 win on Sunday night.

Allen scored 28 points, making three straight 3-pointers in the final 3:15 and James added 27, including a did-he-really-do-that? dunk in the last minute to lift the East, which is constantly fighting for respect against the West’s heavy hitters.

Last year near the Las Vegas Strip, the West humiliated the East in a 153-132 rout when Bryant and Co. rewrote the event’s record books. However, this time led by Allen’s 14 fourth-quarter points and James, the East salvaged some pride and stole some bragging rights.

“They beat up on us pretty bad last year,” James said. “We didn’t want to allow that to happen. We wanted to win.”

James, who added nine assists and eight rebounds, was named MVP for the second time in three years.

“I didn’t know he had done all that,” said East coach Doc Rivers of Boston.

Howard, whose performance in the slam dunk contest had fans buzzing more than 24 hours later, scored 16 on 7-of-7 shooting and Kidd, who could be traded to Dallas in the next few days, had 10 assists.

Amare Stoudemire, Brandon Roy and Carmelo Anthony scored 18 points apiece to lead the West, which trailed by 13 entering the fourth but rallied behind Paul, the Hornets’ wondrous point guard.

Paul’s seventh assist of the final period — he finished with 14 — set up Roy’s layup to give the West a 122-119 lead.

But Boston’s Allen, the final player added to either roster, knocked down his second 3-pointer in 48 seconds to tie it before Paul answered with a 3 to make the hometown crowd, which was treated to familiar jazz and brass bands throughout the evening, erupt.

Allen finally missed and James forced a turnover before coming up with the night’s most stirring moment.

Slashing through the lane, Cleveland’s megastar rose and dunked over several West defenders, much like he did in Game 5 of last year’s Eastern Conference finals in Detroit when he scored the Cavaliers’ final 25 points

“We had two people on him,” Paul said. “but that still wasn’t enough.”

Paul was called for an offensive foul on the West’s next trip. Dwyane Wade hit a layup and Allen scored to make it 131-125. Roy’s 3-pointer with 8.7 seconds brought the West within three, but Allen made three free throws to close it out.

Then with Seattle, Allen played on the West team that thrashed the East last year.

“In the locker room guys said we’re not going to have that,” Allen said.

The weekend in New Orleans was about much more than spectacular dunks, a game featuring marginal defense or collecting strings of beads while strolling down boozy Bourbon Street. The NBA came to the Big Easy hoping to help this special city continue its comeback from Hurricane Katrina, the effects of which are still being felt 21⁄2 years since she blasted through.

On Friday, the world’s biggest basketball names as well as hundreds of volunteers fanned out to all sides of the city to help refurbish playgrounds, paint houses and lend a hand with whatever they could on a day devoted to community service.

Many of the players were moved by the experience and came away with a greater sense of what the area has gone through and the monumental work that lies ahead in the Gulf Coast Region.

“Well, I hope not just me, but every All-Star from the East and West was able to put smiles on kids and on families faces,” James said. “I think we all know what happened, the devastation down here and to bring the NBA All-Star game here I think it really uplifted the families down here. We had a great time.”

Bryant, who won MVP honors last year, played less than 3 minutes so he could rest his injured pinkie. The 10-time All-Star dislocated it earlier this month and doctors have advised him to have surgery.

The West could have used him.

“There’s one player we really, really missed, and that was Kobe,” West coach Byron Scott of New Orleans said. “Obviously, Kobe would have loved to play.”

All-Star Saturday

A red cape trailing behind him, Orlando’s Dwight Howard made like Superman and won perhaps the best dunk contest, definitely the most creative, in NBA history to close a memorable All-Star Saturday.

Using a variety of props as well as teammate Jameer Nelson, Howard scored perfect 50s from judges on his first two dunks before the contest was turned over to fan voting for the first time in the final round. Fans, too, picked the 6-foot-11 Howard by an overwhelming margin over Minnesota’s Gerald Green.

“I think the dunk contest is back,” said Howard, who was disappointed when he failed to make it out of the first round last year. “I don’t think people want to see the same old dunks. They want to see something else, see some spice.”

Earlier, Jason Kapono showed nobody’s close to him from long distance. The NBA’s best 3-point shooter this season, the Toronto forward won his second straight 3-point Shootout, tying a 22-year-old record with a final round of 25.

Utah’s Deron Williams won the Skills Challenge, and San Antonio’s Becky Hammon, David Robinson and Tim Duncan won the Shooting Stars competition.