Turkish forward Mehmet Okur of the Utah Jazz and Seattle SuperSonics guard Ray Allen were selected as injury replacements for Sunday's National Basketball Association All-Star Game.

NBA commissioner David Stern named both players to the Western Conference team for the annual All-Star classic Sunday in Las Vegas. He has named four of the 12-man roster for the West due to injuries.

Allen and Okur were selected to replace guards Steve Nash of Phoenix and Allen Iverson of Denver, who are each sidelined by injuries. Canada's Nash has a sore right shoulder while Iverson has a sprained right ankle.

Last week, Stern selected Denver forward Carmelo Anthony and Dallas' Josh Howard as injury replacements.

Stern also announced Tuesday that New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul would replace Nash in Saturday's Skills Challenge competition. Nash was to have gone against fellow NBA superstars Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

Allen took a place on his seventh All-Star squad. He is averaging a career-best 26.9 points, ranking seventh among NBA scorers despite missing 10 games earlier this season with an ankle bone bruise.

Okur will make his All-Star Game debut. He is averaging a career-high 18.2 points and 7.4 rebounds a game. Okur gives Utah an All-Star player after Carlos Boozer was forced out due to injury.

(China Daily via AFP February 14, 2007)