Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball and San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray have been named injury replacements for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.
Ball will replace injured Brooklyn Nets F Kevin Durant and Murray will replace injured Golden State Warriors F Draymond Green. In addition, Boston Celtics F Jayson Tatum, who was selected as a reserve, will replace Durant in the starting lineup.
The game will tip off at 8 p.m. on Sunday, February 20 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. The Team Durant vs. Team LeBron tilt will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio in the United States and reach fans in 215 countries and territories in 59 languages.
Ball, last year’s Rookie of the Year, makes his first All-Star game. Ball is averaging 19.6 points, 7.5 assists, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.47 steals in 47 games this year.
He ranks 10th in the NBA in assists per game and 17th in steals per game, and he’s one of five NBA players averaging at least 19.0 points, 7.0 assists, and 7.0 rebounds—Murray, Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks, James Harden of the Nets, and Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets.
The 20-year-old Ball was previously selected to play in the Clorox Rising Stars during NBA All-Star 2022.
It’s also the first All-Star selection for Murray, who’s in his fifth season and averaging career-highs of 19.6 points, 9.2 assists, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.06 steals in 47 games this year.
The 25-year-old leads the NBA in steals per game, ranks fourth in assists per game, and is 26th in rebounds per game; his 10 triple-doubles are the second-most in the NBA and a single-season record for a Spurs player.
Durant is unable to play because of a sprained MCL in his left knee. The 12-time All-Star is averaging 29.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in 36 games this year.
Green’s not playing because of a lower back/disc injury, which has sidelined him for the last 14 games. He’s averaging 7.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.38 steals, and 1.21 blocks in 34 games.
When a starter is injured prior to the NBA All-Star Draft and is unable to participate in the All-Star Game, he is replaced in the starter pool by the reserve from the same conference/position group.
In the NBA All-Star Draft, Tatum will be selected with the starters in the first round, while Ball and Murray will be selected with the reserves. Green will be assigned to the same team that drafts Murray. TNT will air the Draft on Thursday, February 10 at 6:30 p.m.
Joining Ball, Durant, and Tatum as NBA All-Stars from the Eastern Conference are Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat), DeMar DeRozan (Chicago Bulls), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), Darius Garland (Cleveland Cavaliers), Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls), Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks), Fred VanVleet (Toronto Raptors), and Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks).
Joining the Western Conference are Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Luka Dončić (Dallas Mavericks), Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz), Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz), Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies), Chris Paul (Phoenix Suns), Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves), and Andrew Wiggins (Golden State Warriors).
