Malone Picked as All-Star Reserve

Utah’s Karl Malone, who threatened to skip the NBA All-Star Game after fans left him off the starting team, was named as a Western Conference reserve today along with San Antonio rookie David Robinson.

Also added to the Western squad were Tom Chambers and Kevin Johnson of Phoenix, Clyde Drexler of Portland, Fat Lever of Denver and Chris Mullin of Golden State.

Filling out the Eastern roster were Joe Dumars and Dennis Rodman of Detroit, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish of Boston, Reggie Miller of Indiana, Scottie Pippen of Chicago and Dominique Wilkins of Atlanta.

Coaches in each conference were asked to pick two forwards, two guards, one center and two additional reserves at any position, without voting for players from their own team.

Malone, ranked in the top five in scoring, rebounding and field-goal percentage, was upset after fans failed to make him an All-Star starter, and he threatened to boycott the Feb. 11 game in Miami. But after scoring a career-high 61 points against Milwaukee last week, he said he would participate in the game if the coaches picked him as a reserve.

The Western starters are guards Magic Johnson of the Lakers and John Stockton of Utah, center Akeem Olajuwon of Houston and forwards James Worthy and A. C. Green of the Lakers.

Starting for the Eastern team will be guards Michael Jordan of Chicago and Isiah Thomas of Detroit, center Patrick Ewing of New York and forwards Larry Bird of Boston and Charles Barkley of Philadelphia.

Pat Riley of the Lakers will coach the West, and Chuck Daly of the Pistons will coach the East.

Lever had criticized team officials Monday for failing to promote their All-Star candidates vigorously enough, which he said helped account for the Nuggets being shut out of starting positions for the NBA showcase.

“I think it was the worst I’ve ever seen it,” Lever said Monday. “I don’t think we were promoted as much as in the past.”

Nuggets officials, who last year won the league’s award for best All-Star balloting promotion, denied that they had scaled back promotion efforts this season.

But they were at a loss to explain why Lever, an All-Star starter two years ago, did not make the top 10 this time, although Nuggets President Jon Spoelstra said the new balloting system may be a cause.

“I think it’s ridiculous. You have me, Alex (English) and Michael (Adams) on the ballot, and none of us even makes the top 10,” Lever said.