Anthony, Howard added to Western Conference All-Stars

Feb 9, 2007 - 8:24 PM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Less than two months after punishing Carmelo Anthony, NBA commissioner David Stern rewarded the Denver Nuggets superstar.

Anthony and Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Howard were selected Friday by Stern as injury replacements on the Western Conference All-Star team.

The league's leading scorer at 30.8 points per game, Anthony was suspended 15 games by Stern on December 18 for his role in an ugly brawl with the New York Knicks.

Undoubtedly hurt by the suspension and the negative publicity, Anthony was not voted into the All-Star Game by the fans and was not chosen as a reserve by West coaches.

But with Houston center Yao Ming and Utah forward Carlos Boozer both sidelined with injuries, Stern needed to find a pair of replacements and settled on the 22-year-old Anthony, who will make his first career All-Star appearance on February 18 in Las Vegas.

However, the 6-8 Anthony may not have a chance to join teammate Allen Iverson in the midseason showcase.

A four-time scoring champion and eight-time All-Star, Iverson may miss the All-Star Game due to his sprained right ankle, an injury which has sidelined the star guard for four of Denver's last five games.

Like Anthony, Howard is in his fourth NBA season and will make his first career All-Star appearance. The 6-7 Howard has been one of the driving forces behind the mighty Mavericks, averaging career highs of 19.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists.

Howard joins forward Dirk Nowitzki as Dallas' All-Star representatives. The Mavericks boast a league-best 40-9 record and own a one-game lead over the Phoenix Suns (39-10) for the top spot in the West.