3 Hawks, Durant and Westbrook are NBA All-Star reserves
Atlanta Hawks’ Al Horford, left, celebrates along with teammate Kyle Korver, right, after they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 103-93 to set a franchise record for most consecutive wins at 15 in an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 23, 2015, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
NEW YORK — Al Horford, Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague were picked as reserves for the Eastern Conference in the NBA All-Star team, giving the sizzling Atlanta Hawks three selections for the first time in 25 years.
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook made the West team despite early season injuries for the Oklahoma City stars. The Miami Heat also had two reserves in Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.
But Portland surprisingly had only one in LaMarcus Aldridge. Point guard Damian Lillard was not among the seven reserves.
Atlanta has won 17 in a row and has a 38-8 record, second-best in the NBA. The Hawks were hoping for four spots, but Kyle Korver was not chosen by East coaches.
Korver, shooting 53 percent from 3-point range, still might have a chance if Wade isn’t able to play in his 11th consecutive All-Star selection. He has a strained right hamstring.
“Our whole starting five deserves to be there,” Teague said before the results were announced. “We have a good ballclub. We’re all playing at a really high level right now. And we’re playing as a team. That’s all you can really ask for.”
Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook dunks against the Miami Heat during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Miami, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)
Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving, last year’s All-Star game MVP, and first-timer Jimmy Butler of Chicago were the other players announced to the East squad.
The rest of the West reserves for the Feb. 15 game at Madison Square Garden in New York are James Harden (Houston), Klay Thompson (Golden State), Tim Duncan (San Antonio) and Chris Paul (Clippers).
Duncan made it for a 15th time, joining Shaquille O’Neal and Kevin Garnett with the third-most selections behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (19) and Bryant (17).
Head coaches in each conference had to vote for two guards, three frontcourt players, and two players regardless of position. They couldn’t vote for players on their own teams.
The starters were voted by fans and announced last Thursday. LeBron James (Cleveland), Pau Gasol (Chicago), Carmelo Anthony (New York), John Wall (Washington) and Kyle Lowry (Toronto) will start for the East. Stephen Curry (Golden State), Kobe Bryant (Lakers), Anthony Davis (New Orleans), Blake Griffin (Clippers) and Marc Gasol (Memphis) were voted in from the West.
Bryant is out for the rest of the season after surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his shoulder and his replacement will be chosen by Commissioner Adam Silver. West coach Steve Kerr of the Warriors will decide who takes Bryant’s spot in the lineup.
