Starting 5, Feb. 6: Cavs, Clippers keep rolling in 2024

Since the calendar flipped to 2024, the Cavs (14-2), Knicks (15-3) and Clippers (14-3) have been on a different level.

On Monday, the Cavs climbed to second in the East, while the Clippers pulled within a half-game of first in the West.

The Knicks were off Monday, but look to bounce back from their first loss in 10 games when they host Memphis tonight.

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THE LINEUP

1. Clippers, Cavs keep rolling
2. 3️⃣ Lakers, Pelicans win 3rd straight
3. Suns, Bucks + trade impact
4. ⭐ LED court to debut at All-Star
5. Favorite Celeb Game pics

Panini Rising Stars Draft (4 ET, NBA App): Watch coaches Pau Gasol, Tamika Catchings and Jalen Rose select their teams from the 11 rookies and 10 sophomores available in the Panini Rising Stars Pool, streamed live on the NBA App.

TNT Doubleheader: Kyrie Irving will be a visitor at Barclays Center for the first time in over six years when the Mavs visit the Nets (7:30 ET). The Suns host the Bucks (10 ET) in a 2021 Finals rematch, with both teams adding a few new pieces since that series ended in a Bucks title.

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1. CLIPPERS, CAVS CONTINUE TO ROLL IN 2024

Clippers close strong: After the Hawks took the lead with 5:10 to play, the Clippers used a 17-7 run to go up 139-130 with 1:37 left and held on for the 149-144 win over the Hawks. It was LA’s fourth-straight win as the Clippers closed their season-long seven-game road trip at 6-1.

• Kawhi, Harden shine: Kawhi Leonard put up 36 points on 65% shooting, while Harden fell two boards shy of a triple-double (30 pts, 8 reb, 10 ast). The two combined for 66 points and 11 3s
• LA hits season-high 21 3s: LA shot 60% (21-35) from 3-point range, getting six from Harden, five from Kawhi and three apiece from Paul George and Norm Powell

Cavs climb to 2nd in East: The Cavs won their sixth straight and 14th in their last 15 games to pass the Bucks for second place in the East. Donovan Mitchell (29 pts, 5 3s) and Max Strus (22 pts, 6 3s) combined for 51 points and 11 3s to lead the Cavs past the Kings, 136-110

• Domantas Sabonis (12 pts, 19 reb, 15 ast) posted his third triple-double in the last four games and tied Nikola Jokic with 15 on the season

Must-See Plays From Monday’s Six Games

• Spida Sense: Donovan Mitchell pulls off the self alley-oop pass off the board for the dunk
• Milestone splash: Steph Curry is the first player to ever reach 3,600 3-pointers made
• Harden for four!: With LA clinging to a six-point lead late, James Harden drew the contact from Trae Young and put up a 3 that banked in, plus the foul, to put LA up 10
• AD walk-off: This full-court dime to LeBron helped Anthony Davis post his third career triple-double. Afterward, he found a fan that flew 6700 miles to see him play and made sure he left with a souvenir
• Defense, please: No problem. Here’s a massive rejection from Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton that landed in Queens. Plus, a Jose Alvarado steal to a Dyson Daniels dunk

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2. ROUNDUP: LAKERS, PELICANS EACH WIN 3RD STRAIGHT

Lakers hold on for 3rd straight win: L.A. got a combined 80 points from D’Angelo Russell (28 pts, 5 3s), Anthony Davis (26 pts, 15 reb, 11 ast) and LeBron James (26 pts, 7 ast) to lead the Lakers to their third straight win, 124-118.

• Hornets’ rally falls short: Led by Miles Bridges (who scored a career-high 41), Charlotte used a 36-19 run to cut L.A.’s lead from 21 down to four with two minutes left. Watch the final 5:09 uncut
• AD triple-doubles: Davis had one triple-double in his first 11 seasons (660 games). Monday was his second of the season, both in the span of 11 games
• Rookie rolling: Brandon Miller followed up his career-high 35 points on Sunday with 33 on Monday. He’s scored 20+ points in nine of his last 11 games, compared to six in his first 33 games

Three straight wins for NOLA, too: Brandon Ingram needed only three quarters to put up a season-high 41 points with a career-high eight 3s as the Pelicans cruised to a 138-100 win over the Raptors. The Pelicans improved to 16-1 when scoring over 120 points this season, which is second to Dallas (22-1).

The Curry & Kuminga show:: Steph Curry scored a game-high 29 points – including all four of Golden State’s 3s – while Jonathan Kuminga added 28 points and 10 boards to lead the Warriors to a 109-98 win in Brooklyn, the third stop on their five-game road trip.

Welcome Back Kyrie: Irving (23 pts, 8 ast) returned from a six-game absence (sprained thumb) to lead the Mavs to a 118-102 win over the Sixers. Luka Doncic added 19 points and eight rebounds in 36 minutes after logging 42+ minutes in each of the last four games with Kyrie out.

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3. SUNS-BUCKS AND PLAYER MOVEMENT IMPACT

The 2024 NBA Trade Deadline is just two days away.

It’s the final chance for teams to make a big swing for a player that can elevate their playoff hopes.

As the countdown to 3 ET on Thursday, Feb. 8 draws closer, we look at some of the biggest moves we’ve seen over the past year – from the offseason to early in-season deals – and examine the impact they’ve had.

We begin with two players that found new homes in the offseason and meet tonight when Bradley Beal and the Suns host Damian Lillard and the Bucks (10 ET, TNT).

• Bradley Beal (PHX from WAS): Beal is coming off a season-high 43 points in his return game in DC. The more important number from that game is 15 as it was the 15th straight game that the Suns’ Big 3 has played together after sharing the court just four times in the season’s first 35 games
• Damian Lillard (MIL from POR): The Bucks have made major offensive leaps this year, going from 15th last year to 4th this year (119.9) — along with jumps into the top 3 in pace, True Shooting and EFG. They also rank top 3 in win percentage in Dame Time Clutch Time. Defensively, while they’re ranked 19th after 4th last year, Milwaukee’s moved to 10th over its past seven games.

More Offseason Deals

• Jrue Holiday (BOS from MIL via POR) & Kristaps Porzingis (BOS from WAS): Boston is the only top-five team in both offense and defense. KP’s ability to score inside and out has opened the floor on offense, while Holiday joins Derrick White to form a lockdown backcourt
• Dillon Brooks (HOU from MEM) & Fred VanVleet (HOU from TOR): The Rockets (23-26) have already surpassed their win total from last season (22), while elevating their defense from 29th (118.6) to 7th (112.1). The two vets added in the offseason and new head coach Ime Udoka have played a major role in the turnaround
• Chris Paul (GSW from PHX via WAS): Prior to missing the last month with a broken hand, CP3 led all bench players in assists (7.0 apg) orchestrating Golden State’s second unit

In-season Moves

• OG Anunoby (NYK from TOR): The phrase “instant offense” is commonly used to describe a bench player that can heat up as soon as they enter the game. Anunoby has been “instant defense” for the Knicks. Since his New Year’s Day debut, NY has the top defense in the league (105.4) after ranking 20th (115.5) before he arrived
• James Harden (LAC from PHI): After dropping their first five games with the new-look lineup following the addition of Harden, the Clippers have been the best team in the NBA since Nov. 17 (31-8) with Harden ranking fifth in assists (9.1 apg)

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4. LED COURT UNVEILED FOR SELECT ALL-STAR 2024 EVENTS

On Monday, the NBA unveiled a state-of-the-art LED court that will be used for NBA All-Star events taking place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Friday, Feb. 16 and Saturday, Feb. 17:

• Ruffles All-Star Celebrity Game
• Kia Skills Challenge
• STARRY 3-Point Contest
• Stephen vs. Sabrina: The first-ever NBA vs. WNBA 3-Point Challenge
• AT&T Slam Dunk
• LED court in-game

The floor is designed to enhance the fan experience in-arena and on broadcast through its interactive displays. Visual effects displayed on the court will include the following:

• Design and color changes
• Live replays and other video content
• Real-time game stats
• Location-based player tracking animations
• Interactive games for fans during timeouts
• Animations following key plays and moments

Read more here.

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5. A FEW FAVORITE FROM NBA ALL-STAR CELEBRITY GAMES

Starting today, the Starting 5 will share some of our favorite photos from each of the All-Star events that will be held on the new LED courts in Indianapolis.

First up: The Celebrity Game, which lets some of the biggest names in pop culture join up with NBA legends and WNBA stars to live out their hoop dreams.