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Tim BontempsESPN
The NBA announced the reserve selection for next month’s L-Star game in Atlanta on Tuesday night, which was shortlisted by Brooklyn Nets star James Harden as well as center’s Rudy Gobert and league-leading Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell.
Harden, the NBA’s most valuable player, is representing Brooklyn for the first time in 2018, which will be his ninth consecutive All-Star appearance. The previous eight came with the Houston Rockets, which traded Harden to Brooklyn last month as part of a four-team deal. Since the trade, Harden has averaged 24.9 points and 11.4 assists per game in 18 games with Brooklyn. He will be joined by Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Carrie Irving – along with two captains Kevin Durant, both of whom were voted as starters last week.
In addition to Harden, six other choices from the Eastern Conference were: Boston Celtics defender Jillian Brown and forward Jason Tatum; New York forward Julius Randall Knicks; Chicago Bulls defender Zach Lavine; Philadelphia 76ers Ben Simmons is the guard; And land Relando Magic Center Nikola Vusevic.
Brown, the front-runner for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award this season, averaged a career high on the board for the Celtics, with points (25.5), assists (3.9) and three shooting percentage ranges: field goals (49.7), 3-pointers. ) And a free throw (76.6), will help him earn his first All-Star pick. Tatum, meanwhile, has a career-high average of 26.4 points, and makes his second straight appearance in the league’s midseason showcase.
Vusevic will make his first All-Star appearance since making his first two seasons, and he has a career-high 24.1 points per game and is in a career-best 40% shooting from the 3-point range. Simmons, meanwhile, will make his third consecutive All-Star appearance; Starter Joel, along with Embed, is a round guard, entering Tuesday with the best record of the Sixers Eastern Conference.
They will join a pair of first-time All-Stars from the league’s two flagship franchises at Randall and Lavine, both of whom have been through years of career. Randley, who has helped draw 15-16 knocks for a play-16th berth, has a career average in virtually every category playing under Tom Thibodeau, while Lavine has a career-best 28.6 points per game, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per career.
There has been intense debate over the past few weeks over who will qualify for the final couple venues in the East, with a deep pool for candidate support. Eventually, however, the league’s coaches dropped many of them, including the following: Miami Heat Center Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler ahead; Milwaukee Bucks forward Chris Middleton; Tobias Harris forwards 76ers; Toronto Raptors protect Fred Vanville; Indiana pacers protect owner Olm Bragden and forward Domantas Sabonis; Atlanta Hawks guard Trey Young; And Gordon Hayward ahead of Charlotte Hornets.
Outside the West, Gobert and Mitchell were the headliners, as they were the two representatives for Stracking Jazz, with the NBA’s best record in Wednesday’s showdown against the Lakers on ESPN, and they have won 20 of their last 22 games. Gabert Burt, who is in a position to win his third Defensive Player of the Year award, has his second straight All-Star appearance this season after missing the second season shortly after the previous season. That’s another straight look for Mitchell, averaging a career average of 24.5 points and 5.2 assists this season.
They were joined by: Portland Trail Blazers guard Damien Lillard; Paul George ahead of LA Clippers; Anthony Davis ahead of the Lakers; Phoenix Suns defender Chris Paul and New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson.
Lillard could easily have become a starter, as he has other stars. The points are aided by points and 7.7 and keep Portland in the playoffs, although defender CJ McClum and centerman Joseph Nourik are out with long-term injuries. Meanwhile, George is back in the All-Star Game for the seventh time since missing last year, his first in Los Angeles after an injury delayed the start of his season. Davis, on the other hand, is left to replace the Lakers star, who is currently sidelined due to the stress of the cub.
West’s final two places went to one of the oldest stars in the league’s polls and one of Williamson’s youngest. Paul, who Phoenix acquired earlier in the season, is the 11th All-Star and second in a row after making the roster for Oklahoma City last year. Williamson, who is the top overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, makes his first appearance after averaging 25.1 points and shooting above 60% off the field.
They both beat the field of candidates for the final couple of inclusions which include: San Antonio Dummer defeats DeRozen; Thunder Guard Shy Gilgius-Alexander; Jazz guard Mike Conley, who has earned the unofficial title of best player for never making an all-star team; Sons guard Devin Booker; And Brandon Ingram ahead of the Pelicans.
As in recent seasons, the NBA will combine the L-Stars into a pool, which will be split into two teams by Captain James and Durant. Jazz coach Quinn Schneider will coach James’ team, while Sixers coach Dr Rick Durant will lead the team.
Like last year, the game will also feature an Ilam finish, with teams playing until the final score, which was the opposite of the fourth quarter period. Like last year, that final score will be determined by the combined score of the team leading by three quarters and adding 24 total points – in honor of Kobe Bryant at the end – in total.
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