And then there were four.
Fourth-fifths of the Hawks’ starting lineup will play in the NBA All-Star game this weekend after Kyle Korver was chosen as an injury replacement for Dwyane Wade. Korver was chosen by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Tuesday night.
The All-Star Game will be played Sunday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Al Horford, Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague previously were selected as Eastern Conference reserves in balloting by coaches. The East team will be led by coach Mike Budenholzer, who has directed the Hawks to the best record in the conference in the first half of the season.
Wade, a Heat guard, suffered a severe hamstring injury shortly after being selected a reserve and declared himself out of the game earlier Tuesday.
The Hawks become the first team since the Celtics in 2011 to have four All-Stars (Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett). It’s the eighth time in NBA history a team has been represented by four players.
“We would like to thank Commissioner Silver for selecting Kyle as an All-Star,” Budenholzer said in a statement. “He is an integral part of our team, and we are extremely proud that Kyle will be able to join his teammates Al, Paul and Jeff in being recognized this weekend. This is a positive reflection on all of the work the entire team, coaching staff and organization has put in this season.”
Korver already was a part of All-Star Weekend as a participant in the 3-point Contest.
Korver leads the NBA in 3-point field-goal percentage (.528), 3-pointers made (160) and free-throw percentage (.920). He ranks second in the league in effective field-goal percentage (.707) and fourth in plus-minus ratio (plus-461). Korver is averaging 12.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 33.2 minutes.
Korver, who has played 12 NBA seasons, is on pace for the best single-season shooting performance in NBA history at 51.6 percent from the field, 52.8 percent from 3-point range and 92.0 percent from the free-throw line. He would become the first qualifying player to shoot at least 50 percent from the field, 50 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent on free throws.
At 33 years and 11 months, Korver is the fourth-oldest first-time All-Star in NBA history, behind the Knicks’ Nat Clifton (34 years, 3 months in 1957), Timberwolves’ Sam Cassell (34 years, 2 months in 2004) and Heat’s Anthony Mason (34 years, 2 months in 2001).
Teammate DeMarre Carroll congratulated Korver on social media Tuesday night. The forward tweeted: “I’m So Happy for my Man @KyleKorver for getting picked up for All-Star Squad!!! If anybody deserves to be on the team HE DOES!!!!”
Kent Bazemore posted a picture of him and Korver, both smiling, on Instagram with a hashtag #MOOD.
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