Pau Gasol to be named NBA All-Star reserve

Congrats, Pau! You freakin’ deserved it. Next year, Andrew Bynum. Seriously.

L.A. Times: Lakers forward Pau Gasol was selected to the Western Conference All-Stars as a reserve, The Times has learned from a source who was not authorized to announce it. Gasol was voted onto the team by NBA coaches. An official announcement will come today on TNT at 4:30 p.m.

Gasol, 28, is averaging 17.3 points, nine rebounds and 3.4 assists a game.

He has struggled in some games — including a forgetful 10-point effort Tuesday against Charlotte in which he was benched to start the second overtime — but he has come up big in the headline-grabbing games.

Gasol had 20 points and five assists in the Lakers’ Christmas Day victory over the Celtics, including numerous key baskets late in the fourth quarter. Then he had 22 points and 12 rebounds in the Lakers’ victory last week over Cleveland, making 11 of 13 shots.

Gasol was acquired last February from the Memphis Grizzlies, for whom he was an All-Star in 2006.

The All-Star Game will be played Feb. 15 in Phoenix.