Joe Johnson out of all-star game

Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson will miss the All-Star Game because of tendinitis in his left knee, and multiple reports say that Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo will take his place. An MRI confirmed Johnson's initial diagnosis, the team said. He sat out the fourth quarter of Monday's loss to the Bulls and will miss the next two games: at New York on Wednesday night, and Thursday night's contest at home against Orlando. He'll also skip Sunday's All-Star Game in Orlando and all related activities this weekend, giving his knee additional time to rest. NBA commissioner David Stern selected Johnson's All-Star replacement, and Atlanta's Josh Smith had been one of several candidates. Rondo, who was an All-Star the past two seasons, is averaging a career-high 14.8 points per game to go along with 9.5 assists and 1.6 steals. He would join teammate Paul Pierce on the East team. Johnson leads the Hawks in scoring at 17.6 points a game and was named to the All-Star team for the sixth year in a row. After the break, he'll be re-evaluated before Atlanta's next game, Feb. 29 against Golden State. From: ESPN