Detroit Pistons Chauncey Billups. - REUTERS
new york (ap)
DETROIT WERE REWARDED last night for one of the best starts in National Basketball Association history when four Pistons were selected for the midseason All-Star Game as reserves.
Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace all were picked for the Eastern Conference team that will be led by Detroit coach Flip Saunders. Tayshaun Prince was the lone Pistons starter not chosen in voting by East head coaches.
"I would just like to thank the coaches in the league for recognising our players," Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars told The Associated Press last night. "What the coaches are saying by voting our guys on is that they appreciate unselfishness, great attitudes and team basketball."
The Pistons (40-8) became the first team with four players in an All-Star Game since the Los Angeles Lakers sent Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel to the 1998 game in New York.
Joining the Pistons on the East team for the February 19 game in Houston will be Toronto's Chris Bosh, Boston's Paul Pierce and Vince Carter of the New Jersey Nets.
The Western Conference reserves are guards Ray Allen of Seattle and Tony Parker of San Antonio, and forwards Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas, the Clippers' Elton Brand, Memphis' Pau Gasol, Minnesota's Kevin Garnett and the Suns' Shawn Marion.
Billups and Hamilton are among the five first-time selections, joining Bosh, Parker and Gasol.
The only other teams with four All-Stars were the Celtics (1953, '62 and '75); Lakers ('62) and 76ers ('83). This is the first time four players from one team have been picked as reserves by the coaches.
The starters were voted on by fans and were announced last Thursday. Miami's Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade were chosen in the East along with forwards LeBron James from Cleveland and Jermaine O'Neal of Indiana. Philadelphia's Allen Iverson was the other guard.
Houston's Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady were voted in, along with guards Kobe Bryant of the Lakers and Steve Nash of Phoenix, and San Antonio forward Tim Duncan. The Mavericks' Avery Johnson is the West coach.
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