PHOTO: AFP
NEW YORK: New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony will make an eighth consecutive appearance in the NBA All-Star Game after being named on Wednesday as a replacement for injured Cleveland star Kevin Love.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver selected Anthony to the Eastern Conference squad that will face its Western Conference counterparts on Sunday in New Orleans.
Anthony, who will play in his 10th career NBA All-Star contest, is averaging 23.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists over 55 games this season for the Knicks, who are 23-33 and three games behind Detroit for the last playoff spot in the East.
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Anthony, 32, has 23,775 career points to rank 25 on the NBA all-time scoring list.
Love had been selected for his fourth career All-Star Game but he underwent arthroscopic left knee surgery Tuesday and the defending NBA champion Cavaliers said they expect his return in about six weeks.
Other injury replacements for All-Star Game events this weekend were also announced.
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Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, a 21-year-old Serbian, will replace injured Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid in Saturday's Skills Challenge while Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Abrines, a 23-year-old Spanish rookie, replaces Embiid on the World Team in Friday's Rising Stars Challenge. Embiid is out with a left knee injury.
New York Knicks center Willy Hernangomez, a 22-year-old Spaniard, will replace injured Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay on the World Team. Mudiay will not play due to a back injury.
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