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*(AP file photo)*Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah Jazz guard Sundiata Gaines has been selected to the fourth annual NBA D-League All-Star team, which will be played on Saturday, February 13 at NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by Adidas.
The former University of Georgia Bulldog is not eligible to participate in All-Star festivities since he is not active on a D-League Roster.
Twenty of the NBA D-League's top prospects were selected to be All-Stars by a combination of fan balloting on nba.com/dleague and voting by the league's 16 head coaches. The two 10-man teams will be divided by conference with the West team playing host to the East team in Dallas.
Gaines (6-1, 185, Georgia) was selected by Idaho in the first round (15th overall pick) of the 2009 NBA D-League Draft. He averaged 23.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists while playing with the Stampede. At the time of his Call-Up, the guard ranked fifth in the D-League in scoring, third in assists and third in steals (2.29). Gaines was named the D-League's Co-Performer of the Week for games played during the first 10 days of the season after averaging a league-leading 27.0 points while shooting .603 percent (38-63) from the field and handing out 8.3 assists.
The rookie was signed to a 10-day contract by the Jazz on January 5, 2010 before being re-signed to a second 10-day contract on January 15 and then eventually signed for the remainder of the season on January 25. The Jamaica, N.Y. native has appeared in nine games for the Jazz, averaging 3.9 points and 1.6 assists in 9.0 minutes per game. The Jazz is 11-2 since signing Gaines, who hit a game-winning three-pointer as time expired to beat Cleveland, 97-96, on January 14. Gaines also recorded a career-high in points (12) and minutes (24) in a win over Sacramento on January 29 as well as tied a career-high five assists.
Former Jazzman and current Springfield Amor guard Morris Almond was also selected as a D-League All-Star.
The game will tip off at 2 p.m. CT on Jam Session's Center Court and will be shown live on NBA TV.
(Courtesy Utah Jazz)
