The reserves announcement on Thursday followed the starter reveal a week earlier, where Los Angeles Lakers megastar LeBron James was named captain of the West team.
He will be joined by Dallas Mavericks MVP candidate Luka Doncic, New Orleans Pelicans powerhouse Zion Williamson, reigning back-to-back MVP of the Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic, and Golden State Warriors icon Stephen Curry.
The Memphis Grizzlies are the only top-two team in either conference to not have a starter, but they will still send two players to All-Star Weekend with Ja Morant heading back for his second and Defensive Player of the Year favourite Jaren Jackson Jr earning his first appearance.
Jackson is leading the NBA with 3.3 blocks per game, while his 4.3 combined blocks and steals is well clear of the second-placed Nic Claxton (2.6 blocks, 0.7 steals) and Anthony Davis (2.0 blocks, 1.3 steals).
He is joined by fellow first-time selections Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Utah Jazz's key offseason trade acquisition Lauri Markkanen.
At 30.8 points per game, Gilgeous-Alexander sits fifth in the league, while boasting elite efficiency splits of 50.5 per cent from the field, 35.9 per cent from three and 91 per cent from the free throw line. He is also the only guard averaging at least one block per game (1.1), and is the only player in the league averaging at least 1.5 steals (1.7) and a block.
While Gilgeous-Alexander's trajectory had been pointing up, Markkanen's rise has been more of a surprise.
Having never previously scored more than 18.7 points per game or shot better than 48 per cent from the field, the star of Finland's international team is now up to 24.9 points and 8.7 rebounds while shooting 52.1 per cent from the field and a blistering 43.4 per cent from deep.
Also earning a spot in the West reserves was Los Angeles Clippers wing Paul George – who leads all reserves this year with his eighth selection – as well as Portland Trail Blazers' all-time leading scorer Damian Lillard with his seventh.
The Sacramento Kings were campaigning for two All-Stars due to their impressive position third in the West, but they had to settle for just center Domantas Sabonis after point guard De'Aaron Fox was arguably the conference's biggest snub.
Fox is leading the team in scoring at 24.3 points per game and is also enjoying his first season shooting above 50 per cent from the field, while Sabonis is leading the league in rebounding at 12.4 per game to go with his 18.8 points (61.5 per cent shooting) and 7.1 assists.
Other than Jokic (10.0 assists per game), Sabonis is the only other interior player in the league averaging at least seven assists.
Duncan Robinson added 26 points and Bam Adebayo had 20 to help Miami win seven in a row for the first time since Dec. 30, 2017-Jan. 14, 2018.
The Heat dropped to 1-4 with a loss to Brooklyn on Nov. 4, but haven’t lost since and their 8-4 record ties for the fourth-best 12-game start under Erik Spoelstra.
Each win during Miami’s current streak has been by single digits. Charlotte is the only other team without a double-digit win yet.
Mikal Bridges and Lonnie Walker IV scored 23 points apiece for the Nets, which had won five straight against the Heat.
Joe perfect from deep as Thunder win
Isaiah Joe went 7 for 7 from 3-point range to score 23 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder handed the short-handed Golden State Warriors their fifth straight loss, 128-109.
Shai Gilgeous Alexander had 24 points and seven assists and Josh Giddey scored 19 to propel Oklahoma City to its fifth win in six games.
Chet Holmgren added 13 points and 10 rebounds as the Thunder defeated the Warriors for only the second time in the past 11 meetings.
Jonathan Kuminga scored 21 points for Golden State, which dropped to 1-5 at home this season.
Golden State played without Stephen Curry (right knee soreness) and Draymond Green (suspension) and guard Gary Payton II exited with a sprained left ankle in the second quarter.
Tatum top scored for Boston with 20 points on seven-of-22 shooting from the field, making two-of-10 from three-point range, with 11 rebounds and five assists.
The Celtics small forward notched his fifth assist with a pass for Derrick White's three-pointer with 1:12 remaining in the fourth to put the dagger in and seal the win.
The victory is Boston's fifth straight win, while it improves their NBA-best road record to 14-7.
The Celtics are 7-0 from the second game of back-to-backs this season, and they achieved that without Jaylen Brown (adductor) who had scored 41 on Wednesday.
Marcus Short added 16 points, while White drained four triples in his 15-point haul. Malcolm Brogdon contributed 16 off the bench.
Kyrie Irving had a game-high 24 points for the Nets, who went 5-16 without Durant during a month-and-a-half stint on the sidelines last season.
Ben Simmons scored zero points from three shots, marking his second scoreless game of his season and career. However, he did have a season-high 13 assists, while T.J. Warren scored 20 points off the bench.
Giddey up as OKC down 76ers
James Harden recorded 15 assists for the sixth time this season but the Philadelphia 76ers were beaten 133-114 at home by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued his outstanding season with 37 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while Josh Giddey added 20 points and eight assists for OKC, who fought back from a third-quarter deficit to lead by 16 at the final change.
Harden had 24 points with six rebounds and 15 assists, with Joel Embiid scoring 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field with 10 rebounds.
Doncic triple-double in Mavs' 2OT win
Luka Doncic scored game-tying three-pointers at the end of regulation and the first overtime before the Dallas Mavericks triumphed 119-115 in a physical double OT clash over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Doncic, who went 16 minutes without a basket at one point, finished the game with 35 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists, while Christian Wood came up clutch protecting the rim late with 24 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks.
LeBron James tried valiantly for the Lakers with 24 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists with two steals, while Russell Westbrook added 28 points off the bench, including two crucial free-throws at the end of regulation .
Gilgeous-Alexander, 24, is in the midst of a breakout season that has him the favourite for the Most Improved Player award.
After averaging 24.5 points per game this past season on shooting splits of 45/30/81, the Canadian has jumped up to 30.8 points per game on 49/35/91 to sit fifth in scoring.
Almost a lock for his first All-Star appearance this season, Gilgeous-Alexander has helped his relatively mediocre Thunder team to a 10-9 home record, although they are 5-12 on the road, leaving them with the sixth-worst record in the league at 15-21.
On the flip-side, the Celtics own the league's best record at 26-11, and the league's best offense, scoring 117.2 points per 100 possessions. Meanwhile, the Thunder are way down with the 24th-ranked offense (110.5) despite Gilgeous-Alexander playing all but three games.
