Garnett still leads

Celtics forward Kevin Garnett still leads all players in All-Star Game voting after the third returns of the ballots were released.

Garnett leads all players with 1,527,963 votes with Cleveland’s LeBron James – the 2007 top vote recipient – following Garnett at the forward spot in the East with 1,294,019 votes, the second-highest overall tally. The Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard leads Eastern Conference centers (1,260,987), with the Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade (1,019,582) and the New Jersey Nets’ Jason Kidd (743,683) pacing the conference’s guards.

Paul Pierce is fourth among forwards with 352,243 votes, and Ray Allen is third among guards with 617,123 votes. Click here for the full list of vote tallies.

The 57th NBA All-Star Game will be played in New Orleans on Sunday, Feb. 17.

Kobe Bryant leads all Western Conference players with 1,234,111 votes, with the Houston Rockets’ Tracy McGrady following him at guard (809,395). San Antonio’s Tim Duncan passed Denver’s Carmelo Anthony (1,029,335) to claim the top spot among the conference’s forwards with 1,049,641 votes. Houston’s Yao leads Western Conference centers (1,077,244).