NBA NEWS - Sabonis & Booker Replace Durant & Davis in All Star Game

Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis has been named by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to replace injured Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game - NBA photo

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker has been named by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to replace injured Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game - NBA photo

Kevin Durant will be replaced in the starter pool for the NBA All-Star Draft by Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, who was selected as an All-Star reserve - (Keith Allison photo) Nets’ Harden and Suns’ Paul headlineAll-Star Game Reserves

Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis has been named by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to replace injured Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game - Suns’ Devin Booker to replace injured Lakers’ Anthony Davis in the game - THIS DAY IN THE NBA

NEW YORK, N.Y. USA

Friday, February 26, 2021

Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis has been named by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to replace injured Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, which will be played on Sunday, March 7 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

Sabonis has earned his second straight NBA All-Star selection. He is averaging a career-high 21.5 points, 11.7 rebounds (fifth in the NBA) and a career-high 5.7 assists in 30 games this season. He joins NBA All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Julius Randle of the New York Knicks as the only players who are averaging at least 20.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. A five-year NBA veteran from Lithuania, Sabonis ranks second in the league in double-doubles with 24 and has recorded three triple-doubles.

Durant will not play in the NBA All-Star Game because of a left hamstring strain, which has caused him to miss the last six games. He is averaging 29.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 19 games. Durant was named an NBA All-Star Game starter and team captain, his 11th All-Star selection.

According to NBA rules, when a player selected to the All-Star Game is unable to participate, the Commissioner shall choose a replacement from the same conference as the player who is being replaced. Durant and Sabonis both play for Eastern Conference teams.

Durant will be replaced in the starter pool for the NBA All-Star Draft by Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, who was selected as an All-Star reserve. According to NBA rules, an injured All-Star Game starter is replaced in the starter pool for the NBA All-Star Draft by the All-Star reserve from the same conference and of the same position group who received the highest ranking in the voting for All-Star starters. Tatum will be selected with the starters in the first round of the NBA All-Star Draft, while Sabonis will be selected with the reserves in the second round. The NBA All-Star Draft will air on TNT on Thursday, March 4 at 8 p.m. ET.

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker has been named by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to replace injured Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, which will be played on Sunday, March 7 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

Booker has earned his second straight NBA All-Star selection. He is averaging a team-high 24.7 points (16th in the NBA), 4.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds while shooting a career-high 50.1 percent from the field, 38.1 percent from three-point range and 84.8 percent from the free throw line in 26 games this season.

Behind Booker and fellow NBA All-Star Chris Paul, Phoenix has posted the league’s fourth-best record (20-10) and produced its best start through 30 games of a season since 2007-08. With the selection of Booker and Paul, the Suns have multiple NBA All-Stars in a season for the first time since 2009-10 (Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire).

Davis will miss the NBA All-Star Game after sustaining a right calf strain against the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 14. He was voted by NBA head coaches as an All-Star reserve, his eighth consecutive All-Star selection. Davis is averaging 22.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.78 blocks in 23 games this season.

According to NBA rules, when a player selected to the All-Star Game is unable to participate, the Commissioner shall choose a replacement from the same conference as the player who is being replaced. Davis and Booker both play for Western Conference teams.

The NBA All-Star Game rosters will be determined through the NBA All-Star Draft, where team captains Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets and LeBron James of the Lakers will select from the pool of players named starters and reserves in each conference. TNT will air the NBA All-Star Draft on Thursday, March 4 at 8 p.m. ET.

In the two-round NBA All-Star Draft, Booker will be selected with the All-Star Game reserves in the second round. The starters will be selected in the first round. Davis will be assigned to the same All-Star team that drafts Booker.

The 70th NBA All-Star Game is part of NBA All-Star 2021, which will take place on one night, March 7. TNT’s NBA All-Star coverage will begin at 5 p.m. ET with TNT NBA Tip-Off followed by the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest starting at 6:30 p.m. ET. NBA All-Star Game coverage will begin at 8 p.m. ET, with AT&T Slam Dunk taking place at halftime.

February 26, 1985 Philadelphia’s Julius Erving passed Elvin Hayes (27,313 points) as the third leading all-time scorer in pro basketball history during the 76ers’ 116-97 loss at Milwaukee.

February 26, 2002 By playing five minutes in the Kings' 107-81 triumph over Utah, Sacramento’s Chucky Brown set a league record by taking the floor with his 12th NBA team.