Suns’ O’Neal back on the All-Star team

After being left out of the NBA All-Star game for the first time in his career last season, the Suns’ Shaquille O’Neal received his 15th selection Thursday when the reserves were announced for the Feb. 15 game in Phoenix.

He was averaging 18.2 points entering Thursday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs.

Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, who sat out the last 10 games because of a broken bone in his right hand, has been cleared by his doctor to play tonight against the Charlotte Bobcats. . . . Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko is scheduled to have surgery to remove a bone fragment from his right ankle today and the team says it won’t know until after the operation how long the surgery will keep him out. . . . Oklahoma City Thunder guard Desmond Mason will miss the rest of the season after hyperextending his right knee in a game Wednesday night.