Howard, Bryant lead NBA All-Star voting

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NEW YORK, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- The NBA announced Thursday Orlando's Dwight Howard and the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant led the voting for this year's All-Star Game.

Both will start in the mid-season contest Feb. 26 in Orlando, Fla.

Howard received 1,600,390 votes and will be joined in the Eastern Conference starting lineup by Carmelo Anthony of New York, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade of Miami and defending NBA regular-season MVP Derrick Rose of Chicago.

James, who was voted the most valuable player in the 2008 All-Star Game, will be making his eighth consecutive start.

Bryant garnered 1,555,479 votes and will equal the NBA record by appearing in the All-Star contest for the 14th straight year. Shaquille O'Neal, Jerry West and Karl Malone have been the only others to pull off that feat.

Four of the Western Conference starts will come from the NBA's two Los Angeles teams. Bryant's teammate Andrew Bynum will start, as will Blake Griffin and Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant will round out the West's starting lineup.

The reserves for the game have yet to be announced.