{"id":499430,"date":"2026-01-07T17:52:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T17:52:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/499430\/"},"modified":"2026-01-07T17:52:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T17:52:25","slug":"starting-5-lakers-win-a-big-easy-thriller-cooper-flagg-delivers-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/499430\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting 5: Lakers win a Big Easy thriller, Cooper Flagg delivers &#038; more"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nba.com\/manage\/2024\/12\/STARTING5-ACTION-FINAL-HEADER-768x222-5.avif\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Pure sorcery<\/strong> from Luka Magic.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A 4th quarter <\/strong>fit for the King.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Another Hollywood finish<\/strong> for the Lake Show. And another epic night of hoops.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1767808333_135_original.gif\" alt=\"Luka Don\u010di\u0107, LeBron James\"\/><\/p>\n<p>5 STORIES IN TODAY\u2019S EDITION \ud83c\udfc0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Clutch Closers:<\/strong> LeBron &amp; Luka put on a show, Flagg answers, Spencer &amp; Garland say goodnight<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tuesday Roundup:<\/strong> Wolves and Wiz win again to wrap up a wild night<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tonight On ESPN:<\/strong> JB and the surging C\u2019s host Denver, Lakers streak into San Antonio<\/p>\n<p><strong>League Pass Spotlight:<\/strong> Kawhi &amp; Clips visit Knicks, Giannis vs. Steph and a KD encore<\/p>\n<p><strong>NBA All-Star Voting:<\/strong> The 2nd fan returns are here, plus key All-Star dates to know<\/p>\n<p>BUT FIRST \u2026 \u23f0<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1767808334_149_original.jpg\" alt=\"Scores &amp; Schedule\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Twelve games<\/strong> tip off tonight, headlined by a marquee doubleheader on ESPN as the Nuggets visit the Celtics (<a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/den-vs-bos-0022500520?lid=bxb28vsjkxyo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">7 ET<\/a> | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/how-to-watch-game-redirect\/0022500520?partnerRef=NBA&amp;platform=Email&amp;surface=Starting5&amp;lid=0i5v2clo20b3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tap to Watch<\/a>), before the Spurs host the Lakers (<a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/lal-vs-sas-0022500523?lid=yfdhmqnyiawz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">9:30 ET<\/a> | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/how-to-watch-game-redirect\/0022500523?partnerRef=NBA&amp;platform=Email&amp;surface=Starting5&amp;lid=em8jzstg3yud\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tap to Watch<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p><strong>3-For-1 Day:<\/strong> Your ballot counts 3x today in NBA All-Star voting for the 2026 starters. Only one week remains before voting closes on Jan. 14, so don\u2019t miss your shot \u2013 <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/lnuag1ugvlimu?lid=79g0cbnnonem\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">make your picks now<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>1. CLUTCH TIME: LEBRON &amp; LUKA DAZZLE; FLAGG, SPENCER &amp; GARLAND CLOSE<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1767808336_975_original.gif\" alt=\"Luka Don\u010di\u0107, LeBron James\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>One is the NBA\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0leading scorer this season. The other is the NBA\u2019s all-time leading scorer<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>ever.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Together,<\/strong> Luka Don\u010di\u0107 and LeBron James are a nightly dilemma for defenses.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Last night,<\/strong> <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2008752666609136106?s=20&amp;lid=cl8crafvrqkx\">they showed why<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lakers 111, Pelicans 103:<\/strong> After fueling two straight comeback wins over Memphis last weekend, Don\u010di\u0107 (30 pts, 10 ast) and James (30 pts, 8 reb, 8 ast) did it again, combining for 18 points and 3 assists in the 4th to turn a 7-point deficit into the Lakers\u2019 third straight win. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/lal-vs-nop-0022500514?lid=r3a7ackl7v0j\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Where There\u2019s Smoke:<\/strong> James trimmed NOLA\u2019s lead to 7 with a vintage <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2008733158779285929?lid=qjr3krh4m7pv\">steal-to-windmill jam<\/a> to close the 3rd. From there, it was game on<\/li>\n<li><strong>There\u2019s Fire:<\/strong> LeBron opened the 4th with a 3, found Jared Vanderbilt for 2, then drilled another trey to take the lead with an 8-0 burst<\/li>\n<li><strong>Then, Luka:<\/strong> Up 4 with 3:58 left, Luka nailed a 3 of his own, then followed up LeBron\u2019s reverse lay with a <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2008767680518778980?s=20&amp;lid=er70yuhcok8w\">preposterous fallaway triple<\/a> to beat the shot clock<\/li>\n<li><strong>Final Touch: <\/strong>Thirty-four seconds later, the two connected to put the game on ice: a Don\u010di\u0107 dime to James to cap a 10-2 run with 1:24 left to bring the lead to 11<\/li>\n<li><strong>Complete Takeover:<\/strong> LeBron finished with 10 points and 1 dime in the 4th, while Luka added 8 &amp; 2 as Los Angeles outscored NOLA 32-17, spoiling Trey Murphy III\u2019s career night (42 pts) while taking sole possession of 3rd out West<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1767808336_665_original.jpg\" alt=\"Luka Don\u010di\u0107, LeBron James\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Chemistry In Motion:<\/strong> It\u2019s the fourth time Luka and LeBron have each scored 30+ in the same game. In those outings, the Lakers are 4-0.<\/p>\n<p><strong>But this isn\u2019t two stars<\/strong> taking turns \u2013 it\u2019s a duo evolving in real time, playing their best ball together and dictating the game late.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>New Heights: <\/strong>Don\u010di\u0107 (34, 30, 36) and James (31, 26, 30) have now combined for 187 points in their last three outings \u2013 their most in any three-game span when sharing the floor as teammates<\/li>\n<li><strong>Same Closers: <\/strong>Fifty-seven of those points have come in the 4th quarter, resulting in Los Angeles\u2019 third straight clutch win and pushing its clutch record to an NBA-best 13-0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Special Company:<\/strong> Only one other team has opened a season with a better clutch record since they were first tracked in 1997-98: the 73-win 2015-16 Warriors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1767808338_235_original.gif\" alt=\"Cooper Flagg, Brandon Williams\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>While Luka and LeBron<\/strong> carried the Lakers down the stretch, a young Mav delivered in Sacramento.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mavericks 100, Kings 98:<\/strong> In a thrilling finish with seven lead changes in the final 4:21, Cooper Flagg came through for Dallas, first banking in a go-ahead turnaround with 55 seconds to play.<\/p>\n<p><strong>He then answered<\/strong> DeMar DeRozan\u2019s subsequent bucket by <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2008795277021626792?lid=cn0ckwuy38pf\">finding Brandon Williams for 3<\/a> with 34 seconds left \u2013 putting the Mavs up for good as DeRozan\u2019s potential game-winner just missed at the horn. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/dal-vs-sac-0022500515?lid=7gfomg76re1i\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Dallas Duo:<\/strong> Flagg finished with a team-high 20 points, 8 boards and 6 assists, while Anthony Davis added a monster double-double (19 pts, 16 reb, 2 blk)<\/li>\n<li><strong>BWill Buckets:<\/strong> Williams, who entered Tuesday shooting 18.8% from 3 this season, added 18 points off the bench \u2013 capped by the biggest shot of the night<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cIt\u2019s just trust.<\/strong> That\u2019s been a word for our team all year,\u201d said Flagg on his assist to Williams. \u201cI see BWill in the gym most nights, even days we practice \u2026 he\u2019s a killer.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>Flagg Time:<\/strong> Coop leads Dallas (and ranks 5th overall in the NBA) with 72 clutch points \u2013 30+ more than the next closest Mav \u2013 while pacing the team in clutch rebounds and assists<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1767808339_929_original.jpg\" alt=\"Cam Spencer\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Making his sixth start<\/strong> this season, Cam Spencer found a sixth gear when it mattered most.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Grizzlies 106, Spurs 105: <\/strong>Spencer went off for 21 points, 8 boards and 8 dimes, capped by a personal 5-0 spurt in the final 1:26 to claim a back-and-forth battle over the Spurs, overcoming Victor Wembanyama\u2019s hyper-efficient return (30 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast in 21 min). | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/sas-vs-mem-0022500512?lid=iyd9h0v51lyw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Clutch Cam:<\/strong> Spencer delivered the sixth and final lead change in the last 3:46, pulling Memphis out of a 4-point hole with a massive 3, then a <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DTMe0YQkQPv\/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D&amp;lid=bl163qzhwrd4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">go-ahead stepback 2<\/a>, before Santi Aldama\u2019s last-second block sealed it<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hot Hand:<\/strong> Spencer finished 8-of-15 from the floor with three 3s, as he\u2019s shooting a scorching 46.6% from deep this season<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Result: <\/strong>The sophomore guard has nearly tripled his scoring average from last season (4.2 to 12.1 ppg)<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cHe\u2019s still building <\/strong>his skillset, and he has [a] tremendous weapon with his 3-point shot,\u201d said Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo postgame. \u201cI don\u2019t think bad shots exist for him.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wemby, How?!:<\/strong> San Antonio didn\u2019t get the win, but Wemby still logged one of the most mind-boggling moments of the night \u2013 <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2008731897887969454?s=20&amp;lid=2e9a8azp18hh\">hangtime: 10 feet<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1767808341_280_original.gif\" alt=\"Darius Garland\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>And how about <\/strong>one more clutch takeover?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cavaliers 120, Pacers 116: <\/strong>With Cleveland down 9 entering the 4th, Darius Garland (29 pts, 6 ast) ignited a 36-23 closing run, scoring the Cavs\u2019 final four baskets, including a dagger pull-up with 13 ticks left, to rally past Indy. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/cle-vs-ind-0022500510?lid=gcopy9ptuao8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Perfect Timing:<\/strong> Garland \u2013 who finished 8th in total clutch points last season \u2013 <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2008736655952539924?s=20&amp;lid=afvnh5slsgw3\">took over in the 4th<\/a>, dropping 14 and 2 dimes while going 7-of-7 from the field<\/li>\n<li><strong>Big Impact: <\/strong>Evan Mobley (20 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast, 2 blk) and Jarrett Allen (19 pts, 12 reb) manned the middle, stepping up with Donovan Mitchell out<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>2. TUESDAY ROUNDUP: WOLVES &amp; WIZ WIN AGAIN<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1767808341_408_original.jpg\" alt=\"Anthony Edwards\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Make that three straight wins<\/strong> for the Wolves.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Wolves 122, Heat 94:<\/strong> Anthony Edwards poured in a game-high 26 points on five 3s, Rudy Gobert was a force (13 pts, 16 reb, 2 blk) and six Wolves scored in double figures to beat Miami for the second time in three days, despite Tyler Herro\u2019s productive return (17 pts, 9 reb). | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/mia-vs-min-0022500513?lid=9eq043igqrq1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Full Turnaround: <\/strong>After dropping three straight games in late November, Minnesota has gone 14-5, the most wins by any team in that span<\/li>\n<li><strong>Winning Ways:<\/strong> During that run, the Wolves have posted the 4th-best DefRtg in the NBA, capped by holding Miami to its 2nd-lowest points total all season<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Wizards 120, Magic 112: <\/strong>Jase Richardson\u2019s 20 points off the bench helped Orlando cut a 26-point deficit to 2 with 5:03 left, but the Wizards closed on a 13-7 run to save the win, powered by CJ McCollum (27 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast) and Alex Sarr (23 pts, 8 reb, 5 blk). | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/orl-vs-was-0022500511?lid=4rjbqwg2updi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>D.C. Upswing:<\/strong> After a 3-20 start, Washington has gone 7-5 in its last 12, including five wins in its past seven games<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>3. TONIGHT ON ESPN: TOP CONTENDERS COLLIDE<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1767808341_332_original.jpg\" alt=\"LeBron James, Victor Wembanyama\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Some players<\/strong> can deliver time and again when it matters most, and the teams around them find ways to capitalize on such play.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Both the<\/strong> Lakers and the Spurs own that distinction.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tonight (9:30 ET, ESPN), <\/strong>the league\u2019s two most clutch squads meet in San Antonio. Not only do they share a knack for late-game heroics, but both sit top-three in the West behind the Thunder and are separated by just one game for 2nd place.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Clutch Cities: <\/strong>Los Angeles (23-11 in 3rd) is 13-0 in clutch games this season, while San Antonio (25-11 in 2nd) is 13-6 in those games<\/li>\n<li><strong>Immovable Object: <\/strong>LeBron James\u2019 23 total clutch points are a team high, but it\u2019s defensively where the Lakers have shined late, posting a league-best 89.1 clutch DefRtg<\/li>\n<li><strong>Unstoppable Force:<\/strong> The Spurs have surged in shooting \u2014 good for the No. 3 clutch OffRtg of 129.6 \u2014 behind De\u2019Aaron Fox (45) and Victor Wembanyama\u2019s (41) combined 86 points<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The Lakers <\/strong>have passed each of their three latest tests. They got crucial buckets late from Luka Don\u010di\u0107 even before last night.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Can\u2019t Guard Him: <\/strong>Draining back-to-back 3s, the five-time All-Star left his mark with 2:35 and 2:09 remaining to topple the Grizzlies on Sunday despite his team trailing, 65-54, at halftime<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1767808342_108_original.jpg\" alt=\"Jamal Murray, Jaylen Brown\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>A colossal<\/strong> cross-conference clash happens earlier in the evening as the Nuggets visit the Celtics (7 ET, ESPN) for their first meeting of 2025-26.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Mirror Images: <\/strong>Boston\u2019s 23-12 record eerily resembles Denver\u2019s 24-12 mark, but the Celtics are 2nd in the East (and the Nuggets are 4th in the West)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Torrid Turnaround: <\/strong>It was a rocky start at 0-3, then 5-7, for coach Joe Mazzulla\u2019s crew without Jayson Tatum, but they\u2019ve since gone 18-5 \u2014 the Association\u2019s best record in that span<\/li>\n<li><strong>Brown\u2019s Rise: <\/strong>As the Celtics search for a fifth straight victory tonight, they\u2019ll again be guided by Jaylen Brown, who boasts 29.6 ppg on a career-best 50.1% shooting<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Denver has had<\/strong> to learn life without Nikola Joki\u0107 (knee). The group relied on its deep bench against Philadelphia for a hard-fought OT win on Monday, with several other starters injured.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u201cIt\u2019s just fun<\/strong> to see all these guys have a moment,\u201d said coach David Adelman. \u201cAnd then for the collective energy and the group to get rewarded for it.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>4. LP SPOTLIGHT: VETERAN SUPERSTARS LIGHTING UP 2026<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1767808343_415_original.jpg\" alt=\"Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>In the first week<\/strong> of the New Year, a trio of household names have been taking over games for three surging teams.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Clippers at Knicks (7:30 ET):<\/strong> The league\u2019s hottest scorer, Kawhi Leonard, takes the Clippers on the road for three games. LA is 7-1 in its last eight and visits the Knicks, who look to end a four-game skid.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Top Scorer, Elite D: <\/strong>In that 8-game span, Kawhi is averaging an NBA-best 35 ppg, while the Clippers have held opponents to a league-best 104.6 ppg<\/li>\n<li><strong>Staying Power: <\/strong>This scoring burst has pushed Leonard into the top 10 in scoring this season (28.1 ppg), the highest-ranked star of this spotlight trio<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cIt\u2019s a different role than I\u2019ve played before,\u201d <\/strong>Kawhi said after Monday\u2019s win over the Warriors. \u201cJust being aggressive all game, shoot as many shots as possible. I\u2019m still getting used to it, and it\u2019s been great.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1767808343_620_original.jpg\" alt=\"Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bucks at Warriors (10 ET):<\/strong> Giannis has the Bucks eyeing a third straight win and fifth in six games since his return, while the Warriors turn from Kawhi\u2019s hot hand to the fired-up Greek Freak.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Grand Return:<\/strong> In five games since returning from a calf injury, Giannis has averaged 30.6 points and 9.6 rebounds<\/li>\n<li><strong>34 In \u201826:<\/strong> Antetokounmpo\u2019s 33.5 points over his last two games rank top-3 in scoring so far in 2026<\/li>\n<li><strong>Speaking Of Superstars<\/strong>: Steph is leading Golden State in Year 17 with his highest-scoring season since 2022-\u201923 (28.7 ppg), while making a league-best 4.8 threes a game<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Rockets at Blazers (10 ET):<\/strong> Houston enters a two-game set in Portland off the hype of KD\u2019s game-winner vs. Phoenix, while the Blazers have won three straight and five of their last six.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Calling Game:<\/strong> Durant looks to feed off his <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DTJ8vw6jAXn\/?igsh=MXZscnVieW1udXhnZw%3D%3D&amp;lid=61gc0cd6uvud\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">11th career game-winning shot<\/a> in the final 10 seconds<\/li>\n<li><strong>New Year, Next Level: <\/strong>Three games in, KD is one of six players to average 25\/5\/5 on 50 FG% or better so far in 2026<\/li>\n<li><strong>Blazers\u2019 Best:<\/strong> Deni Avdija has increased to 27.3 points per game to lead Portland in its strong six-game stretch<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>5. NBA ALL-STAR VOTING: THE 2ND FAN RETURNS &amp; WHAT\u2019S NEXT<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1767808344_71_original.jpg\" alt=\"Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Don\u010di\u0107\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Only one week remains<\/strong> for fans to vote for the 2026 All-Star starters using their NBA ID on the NBA App or NBA.com, and on Tuesday, the <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/news\/2026-all-star-voting-second-results?cid=nba%3Adynpage%3Aown%3Aemail%3Adaily%3Alink%3Aeg%3Anl%3Aeng%3At-crm%3AUS%3Aen%3A20260106%3ADAILY_NEWSLETTER%3ATHE_ZONE%3A&amp;lctg=68e917e7c17a6300622a83ea&amp;lid=m6jgal2fvwjp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2nd fan returns were unveiled<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>At The Top:<\/strong> For the second straight week, Luka Don\u010di\u0107 paces the West and Giannis Antetokounmpo tops the East in fan voting, with Don\u010di\u0107 once again holding the overall lead.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1767808345_533_original.jpg\" alt=\"All-Star West Fan Returns\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>On The Rise:<\/strong> The West\u2019s top five vote-getters remain unchanged, while Jalen Brunson has moved into 2nd place in the East, followed closely by Tyrese Maxey, with Cade Cunningham and Donovan Mitchell rounding out the top five.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Making Noise: <\/strong>A slew of breakout seasons are earning fan recognition. Deni Avdija (7th) and Austin Reaves (11th) continue to gain traction out West, while Jalen Johnson (8th) and Michael Porter Jr. (9th) have pushed firmly into the East conversation amid career years.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1767808345_708_original.jpg\" alt=\"All-Star East Fan Returns\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Triple Your Vote:<\/strong> Fans account for 50% of the vote to choose the All-Star Game starters, with current NBA players and a media panel accounting for 25% each. Today also marks a special \u201c3-for-1 Day,\u201d where votes count three times. <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/lnuag1ugvlimu?lid=1tnioo6d3zzn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Submit your picks now<\/a>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>One Week Left: <\/strong>Fan voting concludes on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 11:59 p.m. ET<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Reveal: <\/strong>NBC and Peacock will announce the All-Star Game starters on Monday, Jan. 19<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Full Field: <\/strong>Seven more players from each conference will be selected by NBA head coaches, rounding out this year\u2019s 24 All-Stars<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>US vs. World:<\/strong> The 2026 All-Star Game takes place on Feb. 15 at the LA Clippers\u2019 Intuit Dome on NBC &amp; Peacock (5 ET).<\/p>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/news\/2026-nba-all-star-game-new-format?lid=a7u3sae3x5u6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Under a new ASG format<\/strong><\/a><strong>,<\/strong> two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players (the World team) will compete in a round-robin tournament featuring four 12-minute games.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The Finale: <\/strong>Once each team has faced the other two, the top two squads by record will advance to face each other in a winner-take-all championship game<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Pure sorcery from Luka Magic. A 4th quarter fit for the King. Another Hollywood finish for the Lake&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":499431,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[62,52996,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-499430","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-sports","9":"tag-starting-5","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115855094651439367","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/499430","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=499430"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/499430\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/499431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=499430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=499430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=499430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}