NEW YORK (AP) -New Orleans’ Byron Scott will direct the Western Conference in the All-Star game, becoming the first to coach the event on his home court in 13 years.
Scott clinched the coaching honor Thursday night after Dallas’ 96-90 loss at Boston. That meant Scott’s Hornets will have the highest winning percentage in the conference among eligible coaches.
The Hornets’ Chris Paul and David West were already picked as reserves earlier Thursday. Scott will be the first to coach in his home arena since Paul Westphal of Phoenix in 1995.
New Orleans is 32-13 (.711), a game better than Dallas with one game left for each team before the Feb. 3 deadline. Scott owns the tiebreaker because the Mavericks’ Avery Johnson coached in the All-Star game more recently, leading the West in 2006.
Phoenix entered the night a half-game better than New Orleans, but the Suns’ Mike D’Antoni is ineligible because he was the coach last year.
Scott is in his fourth year with the Hornets. He coached the Eastern Conference in the 2002 game when he was with New Jersey.
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