Kevin Durant Won’t Play in All-Star Game, Pacers’ Domantas Sabonis to Replace Him

Kevin Durant at the Rio Olympics 2016
Kevin Durant at the Rio Olympics 2016. Photo by Dave Shopland/BPI/REX/Shutterstock (5837940n)

Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant won’t be able to participate in this year’s All-Star Game. Durant, who was set to captain the East team, is dealing with a strained hamstring, according to the official announcement, and is set to be out around two weeks.

Durant will be replaced on the Eastern Conference pool of All-Stars by Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis.

The All-Star invite for Sabonis, which is his second in a row, isn’t a surprise considering he has been averaging a career-high 21.4 points and 5.9 assists to go with 11.4 rebounds so far this season.

The NBA also announced that the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum was named a starter in this year’s All-Star game. Tatum was initially supposed to be a reserve, but will now take Durant’s place in the starting five.

Despite his absence off the court, Kevin Durant will keep his captain duties. He will get to draft his team that will be facing off against LeBron James from the All-Star pool, although it remains to be seen whether the 32-year-old star will actually make the trip to Atlanta and be present at State Farm Arena.

Durant strained his hamstring in early February and has since missed nine games. He is currently averaging 29 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game for the No. 2-seeded Brooklyn Nets.

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