Turkish forward Mehmet Okur of the Utah Jazz and Seattle
SuperSonics guard Ray Allen were selected as injury replacements
for Sunday's National Basketball Association All-Star Game.
NBA commissioner David Stern named both players to the Western
Conference team for the annual All-Star classic Sunday in Las
Vegas. He has named four of the 12-man roster for the West due to
injuries.
Allen and Okur were selected to replace guards Steve Nash of
Phoenix and Allen Iverson of Denver, who are each sidelined by
injuries. Canada's Nash has a sore right shoulder while Iverson has
a sprained right ankle.
Last week, Stern selected Denver forward Carmelo Anthony and
Dallas' Josh Howard as injury replacements.
Stern also announced Tuesday that New Orleans Hornets guard
Chris Paul would replace Nash in Saturday's Skills Challenge
competition. Nash was to have gone against fellow NBA superstars
Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
Allen took a place on his seventh All-Star squad. He is
averaging a career-best 26.9 points, ranking seventh among NBA
scorers despite missing 10 games earlier this season with an ankle
bone bruise.
Okur will make his All-Star Game debut. He is averaging a
career-high 18.2 points and 7.4 rebounds a game. Okur gives Utah an
All-Star player after Carlos Boozer was forced out due to
injury.
(China Daily via AFP February 14, 2007)