Knicks' Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson selected as All-Star reserves

When the All-Star balloting for the starters was announced last week, the Knicks were left out. But as they have moved up through the standings, they certainly have gotten the attention of the Eastern Conference coaches. The reward came Thursday when Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle were named Eastern Conference reserves.

Randle, selected for the third time in his career — all in his five seasons with the Knicks — almost certainly will be replaced on the squad as he rehabilitates a dislocated right shoulder.

It will be Brunson’s first appearance in an All-Star Game, marking the first time since 2013 that the Knicks had two representatives (Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler).

They were joined as East reserves by Boston’s Jaylen Brown and Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey, and with Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard elected starters, there are four teams with two players on the squad. The other East reserves are Miami’s Bam Adebayo, Orlando’s Paolo Banchero and Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell.

The West reserves are the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, the Lakers’ Anthony Davis, Golden State’s Steph Curry and Phoenix’s Devin Booker.

The biggest snubs were Atlanta’s Trae Young for the East and Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis for the West.

Before the announcement was made, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau — who received his own honor Thursday as the Eastern Conference coach of the month — expressed hope that both of his stars would be honored.

“Those things are also a byproduct of the team winning,” he said. “Obviously, they have to play well, but I know from my end, when I’m voting and it’s one of the worst feelings that there is, there are a lot of guys who are having great seasons that are deserving, and then it comes down to the team’s winning. And I think that goes in our favor and it goes into the impact that they have on winning.”

Josh Hart, who has gotten the start in the two games since Randle went down with the shoulder injury, lobbied for Randle, too. Randle’s numbers are in the range of those he put up in already making All-NBA twice in his career. He’s averaging 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game this season.

“Oh, he for sure should be in it,” Hart said. “Unfortunately, the timing of the injury [he probably cannot play], but it’s a bummer because he should be. Hopefully the basketball people, they see that and they realize it, honor him for what he deserves.”

“The coaches look at everything,” Thibodeau said of Randle making the team despite the injury. “When you look at his season, to be playing the way he’s been playing and having navigated what he had to go through in the summer and also his impact on winning, I think it does weigh into it. So just let him continue to work.

“Obviously, he was playing at a very high level when he got injured. But injuries are a part of it.”

By Steve Popper

steve.popper@newsday.com@StevePopper

Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.