James Harden and Anthony Davis headline the reserves for next month's NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets will captain their respective sides – Team LeBron and Team Durant – in the 70th All-Star contest on March 7.
Nets guard and former MVP Harden has been named an All-Star for the ninth consecutive year as he headlines the Eastern Conference reserves, which also includes Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers), Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum (both Boston Celtics), Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls), Julius Randle (New York Knicks) and Nikola Vucevic (Orlando Magic).
Brown, LaVine and Randle have earned All-Star selection for the first time in their careers.
Lakers star Davis is the pick of the Western Conference reserves, alongside 11-time All-Star Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns.
Joining the pair as reserves from the west are Paul George (Los Angeles Clippers), Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert (both Utah Jazz), Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers) and Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans) – who is a first-time All-Star.
The All-Star Game rosters will be determined through a March 4 draft, where James and Durant will select from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves in each conference.
The 10 All-Star Game starters were unveiled last week, with Durant, Kyrie Irving (Nets) two-time reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards) and Joel Embiid (76ers) in the Eastern Conference starter pool.
James, Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks), Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) and Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) are in the Western Conference starter pool.
76ers head coach Doc Rivers will coach Team Durant, while Quin Snyder of the Jazz will coach Team LeBron.
Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash expects Kevin Durant to return from injury before the NBA All-Star break.
Nets star Durant sat Tuesday's game against the Sacramento Kings – his fifth in succession – due to a left hamstring strain.
The All-Star Game takes place on March 7 and former MVP Durant has been named captain of the Eastern Conference team.
Brooklyn have four games remaining prior to the league halting on March 5, and Nash told reporters before the Kings clash: "We're just trying to monitor and be cautious.
"We definitely have kind of slowed things down in that respect, not putting any pressure on him, not trying to rush him back in any capacity and just make sure that we give him the right amount of time to be more than healed, to be strong and conditioned to come back to the team."
Durant is averaging 29.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game for the star-studded Nets this season.
The star-studded Nets (20-12) have won six consecutive games to be within half a game of Eastern Conference leaders the Philadelphia 76ers (20-11).
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban insisted trade rumours claiming the NBA franchise are shopping star Kristaps Porzingis are "not accurate".
The trade deadline is March 25 and speculation over Porzingis has intensified amid reports the Mavericks have gauged the Golden State Warriors' interest.
Dallas acquired Porzingis in a trade with the New York Knicks in 2019, pairing him with Luka Doncic but the Latvian big man has struggled for form and fitness.
Cuban, however, denied the reports regarding 2018 All-Star Porzingis – who was the fourth pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
"It's not accurate," Cuban told The Dallas Morning News. "We have not discussed him in a trade at all. Has not happened."
Prior to Tuesday's clash with the Boston Celtics, Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle added: "I know Mark's denied it. I'm denying it."
Porzingis is averaging 20.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game for the Mavericks (14-15) this season.
The 25-year-old returned from a knee injury in January, which he sustained in October.
"He's had to play his way into shape, and it just hasn't quite been the same," said Carlisle.
"It's not an excuse thing in my mind. These are just the true facts of what's happened."
Two-time NBA champion Pau Gasol has confirmed he is heading back to Barcelona, having earlier denied reports of a return to his former team.
Gasol started his career with Barca in the 1998-99 season before entering the NBA draft three years later, selected third overall by the Atlanta Hawks.
A storied stay in the United States followed, notably taking in a six-year stretch with the Los Angeles Lakers.
But Gasol has not played in the NBA since March 2019 due to a foot injury and was waived by the Trail Blazers later that year without playing a single game in Portland.
The center, now 40, has continued to discuss a potential return to action, with the suggestion of a move back to the Lakers mooted when Marc Gasol, his brother, signed for the team this season.
However, the idea of turning out for the Blaugrana once again had also appealed to Barcelona-born Gasol.
Responding to the reported move last week, Gasol wrote on Twitter: "I remain focused on my recovery and I am not ready to get back to competing just yet."
But he added he would announce any future news on his social media account, and Gasol had an update on Tuesday.
"I'm very happy to announce that I'm coming home and that I'll soon join the ranks of Barca's basketball team," Gasol said.
"I want to put my skills and experience at the disposal of the club at a key point in the season, while at the same time making progress in my physical condition and getting into the rhythm of competition.
"I'm happy to return to the club where I began, and I'm excited about this new opportunity: I hope to contribute to the first team very soon. I want to thank Barca and its technical staff for making it possible to join them."
Barcelona announced he has joined until June 30, stating on their website: "FC Barcelona is delighted that Gasol has decided to sign and return to the place that has always been his home. The club is pleased and honoured that Pau will be wearing the blaugrana colours once again."
The upcoming Olympic Games would appear to be a motivating factor in a move that seemingly ends the six-time All-Star's NBA career.
Gasol, the Rookie of the Year winner in his debut season with the Memphis Grizzlies, played 1,226 regular season games in the NBA, averaging 17.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 blocks and 0.5 steals.
His best scoring season brought 20.8 points per game in 2006-07, his final full campaign with the Grizzlies, although he was an increased threat on the boards later in his career, with 11.8 rebounds per game with the Chicago Bulls in 2014-15.
Between starring for Memphis and Chicago, Gasol joined Kobe Bryant on two title-winning teams in LA, although he first lost in the Finals shortly after joining the Lakers in 2008.
Gasol started all 46 playoff games across their successes in 2008-09 and 2009-10, having been named to the All-NBA Third Team in the regular season on each occasion.
The Lakers star then made the Second Team with 18.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game the following year.
Russell Westbrook believes the Washington Wizards sticking together prevented the team from coming apart after an awful start to the NBA season.
The Wizards continued their revival as they earned a 127-124 overtime win against defending champions the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.
They trailed by 17 points in the second half but rallied impressively, with Westbrook racking up 32 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists.
The Wizards have now won five straight games, having previously not even put together a run of four consecutive victories since February 2018.
Wins against the Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers and Lakers have turned the season around.
The Wizards started 6-17 in Westbrook's first year since his trade from the Rockets, but they are now surging ahead of another huge test at the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
"It has been tough, but we have been sticking together," Westbrook said, per ESPN, amid the team's best run in three years.
"That's the main thing. If you get caught up with everything else going on, teams and players tend to come apart.
"But we have been sticking together and communicating on how to become a better team, and it's been paying off for us."
Wizards All-Star Bradley Beal also shone with 33 points, including six on three straight possessions during a pivotal spell in overtime.
"It feels different, in a great way," he said. "It feels great, but at the same time, we still haven't done a damn thing.
"We realise that, and we keep telling each other that.
"We've still got bad habits we need to break, but we don't discount what we did."
LeBron James had 31 points for the Lakers, who have now lost four of their last five, with Anthony Davis and Dennis Schroder out injured.
"It takes a whole team to collectively get wins, and right now we have two of our main rotation guys out," Kyle Kuzma said after registering 14 points in the loss.
"Obviously there are no excuses. You don't want to lose to an under-.500 team like that, but this is the NBA and anybody can win. We just have to figure it out."
LeBron James insisted he does not believe in rest after the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a frustrating loss to the Washington Wizards.
Defending NBA champions the Lakers have lost three games in a row and four of their last five after going down 127-124 in overtime on Monday.
James missed a free-throw with 10 seconds left in regulation time and did not connect with his last four three-point attempts in the fourth quarter and OT as the Lakers surrendered a 17-point lead.
The 36-year-old played for over 43 minutes. He has not missed a game this season and has clocked up over 200 minutes more than anyone on the Lakers roster, with star team-mate Anthony Davis out injured.
James still had 31 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds in a productive outing, but acknowledged he had not been at his best.
The Lakers (22-10) have gone to OT four times in the last 17 days, losing this one as Bradley Beal (33) and Russell Westbrook (32) combined for 65 points.
"This whole narrative of 'LeBron needs more rest' or I should take more rest or I should take time here, it's become a lot bigger than what it actually is," James told reporters after the game, per ESPN.
"I've never talked about it, I don't talk about it, I don't believe in it.
"We all need more rest, s***. This is a fast turnaround from last season, and we all wish we could have more rest. But I'm here to work, I'm here to punch my clock in and be available to my team-mates.
"And if I'm hurt or if I'm not feeling well then we can look at it then, but I have nothing but honest people around me [advising me].
"I'm also honest with myself as well, and me having a love for the game and me being able to be available to my team-mates is more important than anything.
"Obviously I take full responsibility [for] missing that free throw. I got to make the free throw up there, it's an easy point for us.
"We didn't lose the game there, but I take that responsibility for sure, and I got to be better."
James added about his workload: "I'm not pushing myself. I'm doing my job and I'm trying to do it at a high level, but that's been a narrative around the league.
"I have never asked for time off or time throughout the season. And it's growing to a point where it's not even coming from me anymore. I've been hearing it for five, six, seven years now and I'm still going strong.
"So, I don't need a handout, I'm not looking for a handout, my job is to go out when I'm available, when I'm healthy to go out and play and that's what it's all about."
"It's something I've done before," James added about the packed schedule and an upcoming All-Star game. "I can continue to do it, but I would much rather us be whole."
Lakers coach Frank Vogel called James "a workhorse" and said he would make decisions about the veteran on a game-by-game basis.
A game at Western Conference leaders the Utah Jazz is next on Wednesday.
Western Conference leaders, the Utah Jazz, bounced back from their first loss in 10 games by draining a franchise-record 28 threes while crushing the Charlotte Hornets 132-110.
Donovan Mitchell top scored with 23 points, while three players – Joe Ingles, Jordan Clarkson and Georges Niang – came off the bench to post 20 points or more to send the Jazz to 25-6.
Ingles and Niang each shot seven from downtown, while Clarkson added five.
Utah became the fastest team in NBA history to record 500 three-pointers in a season, setting the record at 31 games.
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