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Happy Groundhog Day, Enjoyers! Whether or not Phil sees his shadow, we’re hoping his forecast calls for even more great NBA action to come this year.

Today’s Lineup

Last Night’s Action

Miraculous Maxey helps 76ers grind out 127-124 win in Utah

Have a night, Tyrese Maxey! With Joel Embiid sidelined due to a meniscus injury, the recently-named All-Star dropped a career-high 51 points (his second 50-piece this year) as the 76ers (30-17) beat Utah. Lauri Markkanen (28 PTS, 10 REB) and the Jazz (24-26) showed life down the stretch, but a few hustle plays from Paul Reed and Mo Bamba helped Philly put the game away.

🏀 🏀 🏀

Lakers beat Celtics 114-105 in Boston thanks to Reaves’ 28

The Celtics started out the season 20-0 at home, but are just 2-3 in their last five at the TD Garden, meaning their home record is now an abysmal 22-3. On Thursday, with LeBron and AD out, it was Austin Reaves’ (32 PTS, 7-10 3PT) red-hot shooting day that propelled the Lakers (25-25) to the upset.

Brunson’s 40-piece leads NYK to 109-105 win over Pacers

Threes aren’t falling? That’s fine, Jalen Brunson (40 PTS, 15/30 FG) will get ethical buckets instead. JB’s big night, plus Isaiah Hartenstein’s dominance on the glass (19 REB) was enough to down Indiana (27-22) who was led by the suddenly hot Jalen Smith (20 PTS, 9 REB). JB soaked it all in afterwards.

Cavaliers sneak by Grizzlies in 108-101 win

Memphis led for almost the entire second and third quarters, but Cleveland turned the tides thanks to a couple clutch threes from Sam Merrill (9 PTS, 3-5 3PT) and an all-around game from (soiler) All-Star Donovan Mitchell (25 PTS, 7 AST). The Cavs have now won 11 of their last 12 games… that’s hot hot.

Wednesday Night Notes

The month of January did not disappoint with its final slate of hoops. You can peruse Wednesday’s box scores here, but check out the big moments you missed here with us!

• The Trail Blazers got the last laugh in Damian Lillard’s (25 PTS, 7 AST, 6 REB) return to the Rose City, as a 20-10 game from Deandre Ayton and a massive bucket from Anfernee Simons lifted Portland over Milwaukee, 119-116.

• But Dame wasn’t the only star to play against his old team! Kevin Durant lit up the stat sheet against Brooklyn with 33 points and 8 assists in the Suns’ 136-120 win over the Nets. KD did get a tribute video, for those wondering…

• Denver led for ¾ of its game against OKC, but once the fourth quarter hit… it was clear SGA (34 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST) had one mission: win the game. His late-game surge helped the Thunder take down the reigning champions 105-100.

All-Star starters were announced last week, and last night we found out who will be coming off the bench at the 2024 NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis. Let’s take a look at the rosters in full:

Eastern Conference

Starters: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard

Reserves: Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson, Bam Adebayo, Julius Randle, Tyrese Maxey, Paolo Banchero

Western Conference

Starters: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Reserves: Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards, Stephen Curry, Paul George, Karl-Anthony Towns

First of all, we want to congratulate the first-time All-Stars in this year’s crop! Huge shoutout to Anthony Edwards, Paolo Banchero, Jalen Brunson, and Tyrese Maxey! The league is in good hands… but it always has been, because if you look on the other side of spectrum, there’s (still) LeBron James. This is the King’s 20th All-Star game, the most of all time in NBA history, as he’s been selected every season dating back to 2004. Sheesh.

However, this won’t be the final final list. Since Julius Randle was sidelined with a dislocated shoulder earlier this week and Joel Embiid is dealing with a knee injury, commissioner Adam Silver will have to name a few replacement players. So if you think anyone was snubbed (Trae? Scottie? Pascal? Jarrett?) hold out hope! There’s still a chance. 🙏

If you didn’t know, the NBA is switching back to the traditional All-Star game format this year. So to LeBron and Giannis, that means no more drafting. It’s time for a classic East-West matchup—what’s your prediction?

Three in the Key

Signing Off

That’s all, folks! We’ll see you on Monday, so make sure to Enjoy Basketball at the proper level over the weekend so you’re not rusty when we come back. Maybe watch some old 2000s-era NBA highlights, or hop on 2K to try and rebuild your favorite team into a ten-year dynasty. Talk soon!

- Austin Zeglis

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