Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Tyrese Haliburton voted NBA all-star starters

Giannis Antetokounmpo will start in the NBA All-Star Game for the eighth consecutive season, as the Milwaukee Bucks star will be the Eastern Conference captain as the fan's top vote-getter. He will be joined by teammate Damian Lillard, who was also voted into the starting lineup by a combination of votes from fans, media and players.

The Eastern and Western Conference all-star teams were released Thursday. The game is Feb. 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The 29-year-old Antetokounmpo played in 40 of the Bucks’ first 41 games, and when fan voting closed Saturday he was averaging a career-high 31.2 points per game on 60.9% shooting. No player in NBA history has ever shot that well while averaging at least 30 points per game for a full season.

Antetokounmpo also averaged 11.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game in the first half of the season while racking up five triple-doubles.

He also set the Bucks single-game scoring record by tallying 64 points on 20-of-28 (71.4%) shooting against Indiana on Dec. 13. It was the highest-scoring game of the season through the first half of the schedule.

Antetokounmpo also became the Bucks’ all-time leader in rebounds in the first half of the season.

He will lead the Eastern Conference all-stars, as the NBA has reverted back to the traditional conference-based teams after six years of draft-based teams. The last time the league featured conference teams was in 2017 in New Orleans, which was Antetokounmpo’s first all-star nod. He scored 30 points in the game.

Damian Lillard is an all-star in first season in Milwaukee

Lillard made his eighth all-star team, and his first outside of Portland – but it is the first time he will start in the showcase event. The 33-year-old point guard played in 38 games in the first half of the season and averaged 25.0 points and 6.8 assists per game while turning in clutch performance after clutch performance to help the Bucks to the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.

Lillard had 10 games with at least 30 point and had a 40-point effort against the San Antonio Spurs on Dec. 19 but his "Dame Time" buzzer-beating game-winning three-pointer against Sacramento on Jan. 14 was his signature highlight his first half season in Milwaukee. He also had two double-doubles.

The Bucks have had two all-stars in a game several times since their emergence as an annual Eastern Conference power, but this is the first time the team will have two starters since Bob Dandridge and Brian Winters made the Western Conference all-star team through the fan vote in 1976.

Tyrese Haliburton voted all-star starter, could be MVP front-runner

Playing with Antetokounmpo for the East will be Oshkosh native and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who will start on his home court. He led all backcourt players in the fan vote.

A hamstring injury ended Haliburton’s first half after 33 games, but he averaged 23.6 points and 12.5 assists in that time while helping the Pacers become a playoff contender.

It is his second straight all-star selection.

Not only is Haliburton’s style of play well-suited to the free-wheeling, highlight-churning All-Star Game, but since 2000 there have been seven game MVPs who won on a “home” court of some kind:

• 2000: Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal in Oakland, California
• 2001: Georgetown alumnus Allen Iverson in Washington, D.C.
• 2002: Philadelphia-area raised Kobe Bryant in Philadelphia
• 2004: Los Angeles Lakers center O’Neal in L.A.
• 2009: Phoenix Suns center O’Neal in Phoenix
• 2011: Los Angeles Lakers guard Bryant in L.A.
• 2017: New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis in New Orleans

The other East starters announced Thursday were Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Boston’s Jayson Tatum.

LeBron James sets record with 20^th All-Star Game selection

The Western Conference starters are the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, Denver’s Nikola Jokić, Phoenix’s Kevin Durant, Dallas’ Luka Dončić and Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

James’ selection breaks a tie with former Bucks and Lakers Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most all-star selections all time, which they shared with 19. James adds to his record of consecutive selections (20). Should he play the game, James will also add to his record of consecutive all-star games played and total played at 20.