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PACERS

Paul George named All-Star starter and to USA Basketball pool

By Candace Buckner
candace.buckner@indystar.com

SACRAMENTO – As the Indiana Pacers pass the mid point of the season, small forward Paul George has reached a new plateau in his young career.

George will start with superstars LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony for the Eastern Conference in the NBA All-Star game on Feb. 16 in New Orleans, becoming the first Pacers player to make an All-Star start since Jermaine O'Neal in 2006.

Also on Thursday, George was included in the pool of 28 players for the U.S. men's basketball national team. The rosters for the World Cup of Basketball this summer in Spain and the 2016 Rio Olympics will be selected from this collection of players.

George, the fourth-year small forward who averages 23.3 points per game, said earning the honors means a great deal to him.

"I think both of them are heavily weighted to me," George said. "Being a starter is one that's big to me because you want to be a household name and you want to be recognizable, and you want to be recognized for what you do."

George finished as the third-leading vote-getter only behind James and Western Conference starter Kevin Durant, proving he is no longer obscure. From a 'who-is-he?' contestant in the dunk competition two years ago to becoming the face of the team with the best record in the NBA, George has reached star status.

"A lot of fans voted for me," George said. "and obviously … have watched me play, so that one was pretty big for me."

During the live Thursday night broadcast to reveal the starters, the "NBA on TNT" crew also hailed Indiana center Roy Hibbert and guard Lance Stephenson as likely reserves. Shaquille O'Neal explained that Hibbert is "playing great defense" and should be included on a roster dominated by wings and guards.

"They shouldn't have snubbed out the center spot," O'Neal said. "We still have centers."

The TNT analysts, O'Neal, Charles Barkley, Grant Hill and Kenny Smith, all said the Pacers pair should make the East roster.

Hibbert, an All-Star in 2012, finished fourth in the Eastern Conference frontcourt balloting with 524,809 votes. Stephenson, looking to make his first All-Star appearance, finished seventh among the backcourt nominees with 148,382 votes. The reserves, selected by NBA coaches, will be announced next Thursday.

"I would agree," George said in response to the TNT crew's opinions on Hibbert and Stephenson. "I would agree that George (Hill) and Danny (Granger) have a case, too. But I definitely do think those two do deserve a spot on the team, just because how well we're doing. They are just as big as I am for being a part of how good we are this year, so I think the coaches around the league should take a lot of that into consideration in how well they've been playing for us."

While Hibbert and Stephenson must wait another week to learn if they've made the cut, George's status on the USA team is also not determined yet. USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo stopped short of calling George a lock to play for the U.S. team at the World Cup in Spain this summer but added that it's a "pretty good bet" he will.

"We kind of fell in love with Paul George when we brought him into one of our camps a couple of years back," Colangelo said. "We could not be more excited by his development. His versatility, ability to play multiple positions, makes him a good fit on any team."

Said George: "Being invited to USA, it's great to want to play for your country. That's something I've wanted to do since I was little, so all the greats do it. All the Hall of Fame guys do it (and) I wanted that for myself."

Former Brownsburg and Butler star Gordon Hayward was also included in national team pool.

"Anytime you are chosen to represent your country it is a tremendous honor," Hayward tweeted.

Call Star reporter Candace Buckner at (317) 444-6121. Follow her on Twitter: @CandaceDBuckner. Michael Pointer contributed to this report.

PACERS AT KINGS

Tipoff: 10 p.m. Friday, Sleep Train Arena, Sacramento.

TV: FSI.

Radio: WFNI-107.5 FM, 1070 AM

THE PACERS (33-8)

Pos.

Player

Pts

Key stat

PG

George Hill

10.6

3.2 apg

SG

Lance Stephenson

13.7

6.8 rpg

SF

Paul George

23.3

39% 3pt

PF

David West

12.4

6.6 rpg

C

Roy Hibbert

12.1

2.6 bpg

6th

Danny Granger

8.8

3.5 rpg

THE KINGS (15-26)

Pos.

Player

Pts

Key stat

PG

Isaiah Thomas

19.5

6.3 apg

SG

Marcus Thornton

7.3

3.0 rpg

SF

Derrick Williams

8.5

3.5 rpg

PF

Jason Thompson

12.4

5.5 rpg

C

DeMarcus Cousins

22.6

11.6 rpg

6th

Ben McLemore

7.7

2.7 rpg

Kings without a crown: If learning consistency wasn't already a challenge for this young Sacramento team, now it could possibly go forward without two starters. On Thursday, the Kings announced that center DeMarcus Cousins has a sprained left ankle and is day-to-day, while small forward Rudy Gay has an Achilles strain, which will force him to wear a walking boot, according to Yahoo! Sports. However, even with the services of their standout players, the Kings are an up and down team. On Jan. 21, Sacramento blasted New Orleans by 17 points then the following night, withstood a 21-point beating from Houston.

Pacers hurting, too: George Hill (deep bruise on his left thigh) played through the discomfort on Wednesday night and on that same night, David West temporarily left the game after aggravating his right-hand injury. West did return to the game but the pain persists. "It is what it is," West said about the hand.

He said what?!: "It's a huge letdown. If we want to get to where we want to get to, we can't allow slippage like this. We can't win every game but we can't come out and play the way we did tonight." – All-Star starter Paul George, after the Pacers lost 124-100 to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.

Prediction: If Cousins plays, then he can present a challenge to Roy Hibbert, who fouled out while playing against the smaller and speedier Suns' frontcourt. However, if George was representing the voice of the locker room, then the Kings can expect to see a more motivated Pacers team in Sacramento. After slight "slippage," Indiana returns to its dominant defensive ways and wins 105-86.

— Candace Buckner