NEW YORK – Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan won a tiebreaker to join Cleveland’s Lebron James among the East’s starters for the NBA All-Star Game.
The rest of the East lineup for the Feb. 19 game in New Orleans is Kyrie Irving of Cleveland, Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee, and Jimmy Butler of Chicago. DeRozan beat out Boston’s Isaiah Thomas.
Stephen Curry won another tiebreaker to join Golden State teammate Kevin Durant in the Western Conference team’s starting lineup.
Curry and Houston’s James Harden beat out Russell Westbrook for the two Western Conference backcourt spots in the new voting system that included players and media for the first time this season. They will join frontcourt choices Durant, Anthony Davis of New Orleans and Kawhi Leonard of San Antonio.
Fan voting accounted for 50 per cent in the new system, while current players and a media panel each made up 25 per cent.