Westbrook Not Named Among Starters For NBA All-Star Game

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s all-everything point guard, Russell Westbrook, will play in this year’s NBA All-Star game, but not as a starter.

Stephen Curry won a tiebreaker to join Golden State teammate Kevin Durant in the lineup, while LeBron James and Kyrie Irving also gave Cleveland two starters in the NBA All-Star Game.

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.

The rest of the East lineup for the Feb. 19 game in New Orleans is Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee and Jimmy Butler of Chicago in the frontcourt and DeMar DeRozan of Toronto in the backcourt. He beat out Boston's Isaiah Thomas in another tiebreaker.

Fan voting accounted for 50 percent in the new system, while current players and a media panel each made up 25 percent.