Pure sorcery from Luka Magic.
A 4th quarter fit for the King.
Another Hollywood finish for the Lake Show. And another epic night of hoops.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Clutch Closers: LeBron & Luka put on a show, Flagg answers, Spencer & Garland say goodnight
Tuesday Roundup: Wolves and Wiz win again to wrap up a wild night
Tonight On ESPN: JB and the surging C’s host Denver, Lakers streak into San Antonio
League Pass Spotlight: Kawhi & Clips visit Knicks, Giannis vs. Steph and a KD encore
NBA All-Star Voting: The 2nd fan returns are here, plus key All-Star dates to know
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Twelve games tip off tonight, headlined by a marquee doubleheader on ESPN as the Nuggets visit the Celtics (7 ET | Tap to Watch), before the Spurs host the Lakers (9:30 ET | Tap to Watch).
3-For-1 Day: 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’t miss your shot – make your picks now.
1. CLUTCH TIME: LEBRON & LUKA DAZZLE; FLAGG, SPENCER & GARLAND CLOSE
One is the NBA’s leading scorer this season. The other is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer ever.
Together, Luka Dončić and LeBron James are a nightly dilemma for defenses.
Last night, they showed why.
Lakers 111, Pelicans 103: After fueling two straight comeback wins over Memphis last weekend, Dončić (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’ third straight win. | Recap
Where There’s Smoke: James trimmed NOLA’s lead to 7 with a vintage steal-to-windmill jam to close the 3rd. From there, it was game on
There’s Fire: 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
Then, Luka: Up 4 with 3:58 left, Luka nailed a 3 of his own, then followed up LeBron’s reverse lay with a preposterous fallaway triple to beat the shot clock
Final Touch: Thirty-four seconds later, the two connected to put the game on ice: a Dončić dime to James to cap a 10-2 run with 1:24 left to bring the lead to 11
Complete Takeover: LeBron finished with 10 points and 1 dime in the 4th, while Luka added 8 & 2 as Los Angeles outscored NOLA 32-17, spoiling Trey Murphy III’s career night (42 pts) while taking sole possession of 3rd out West
Chemistry In Motion: It’s the fourth time Luka and LeBron have each scored 30+ in the same game. In those outings, the Lakers are 4-0.
But this isn’t two stars taking turns – it’s a duo evolving in real time, playing their best ball together and dictating the game late.
New Heights: Dončić (34, 30, 36) and James (31, 26, 30) have now combined for 187 points in their last three outings – their most in any three-game span when sharing the floor as teammates
Same Closers: Fifty-seven of those points have come in the 4th quarter, resulting in Los Angeles’ third straight clutch win and pushing its clutch record to an NBA-best 13-0
Special Company: 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
While Luka and LeBron carried the Lakers down the stretch, a young Mav delivered in Sacramento.
Mavericks 100, Kings 98: 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.
He then answered DeMar DeRozan’s subsequent bucket by finding Brandon Williams for 3 with 34 seconds left – putting the Mavs up for good as DeRozan’s potential game-winner just missed at the horn. | Recap
Dallas Duo: 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)
BWill Buckets: Williams, who entered Tuesday shooting 18.8% from 3 this season, added 18 points off the bench – capped by the biggest shot of the night
“It’s just trust. That’s been a word for our team all year,” said Flagg on his assist to Williams. “I see BWill in the gym most nights, even days we practice … he’s a killer.”
Flagg Time: Coop leads Dallas (and ranks 5th overall in the NBA) with 72 clutch points – 30+ more than the next closest Mav – while pacing the team in clutch rebounds and assists
Making his sixth start this season, Cam Spencer found a sixth gear when it mattered most.
Grizzlies 106, Spurs 105: 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’s hyper-efficient return (30 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast in 21 min). | Recap
Clutch Cam: 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 go-ahead stepback 2, before Santi Aldama’s last-second block sealed it
Hot Hand: Spencer finished 8-of-15 from the floor with three 3s, as he’s shooting a scorching 46.6% from deep this season
The Result: The sophomore guard has nearly tripled his scoring average from last season (4.2 to 12.1 ppg)
“He’s still building his skillset, and he has [a] tremendous weapon with his 3-point shot,” said Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo postgame. “I don’t think bad shots exist for him.”
Wemby, How?!: San Antonio didn’t get the win, but Wemby still logged one of the most mind-boggling moments of the night – hangtime: 10 feet
And how about one more clutch takeover?
Cavaliers 120, Pacers 116: With Cleveland down 9 entering the 4th, Darius Garland (29 pts, 6 ast) ignited a 36-23 closing run, scoring the Cavs’ final four baskets, including a dagger pull-up with 13 ticks left, to rally past Indy. | Recap
Perfect Timing: Garland – who finished 8th in total clutch points last season – took over in the 4th, dropping 14 and 2 dimes while going 7-of-7 from the field
Big Impact: 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
2. TUESDAY ROUNDUP: WOLVES & WIZ WIN AGAIN
Make that three straight wins for the Wolves.
Wolves 122, Heat 94: 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’s productive return (17 pts, 9 reb). | Recap
Full Turnaround: After dropping three straight games in late November, Minnesota has gone 14-5, the most wins by any team in that span
Winning Ways: 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
Wizards 120, Magic 112: Jase Richardson’s 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). | Recap
D.C. Upswing: After a 3-20 start, Washington has gone 7-5 in its last 12, including five wins in its past seven games
3. TONIGHT ON ESPN: TOP CONTENDERS COLLIDE
Some players can deliver time and again when it matters most, and the teams around them find ways to capitalize on such play.
Both the Lakers and the Spurs own that distinction.
Tonight (9:30 ET, ESPN), the league’s 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.
Clutch Cities: 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
Immovable Object: LeBron James’ 23 total clutch points are a team high, but it’s defensively where the Lakers have shined late, posting a league-best 89.1 clutch DefRtg
Unstoppable Force: The Spurs have surged in shooting — good for the No. 3 clutch OffRtg of 129.6 — behind De’Aaron Fox (45) and Victor Wembanyama’s (41) combined 86 points
The Lakers have passed each of their three latest tests. They got crucial buckets late from Luka Dončić even before last night.
Can’t Guard Him: 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
A colossal cross-conference clash happens earlier in the evening as the Nuggets visit the Celtics (7 ET, ESPN) for their first meeting of 2025-26.
Mirror Images: Boston’s 23-12 record eerily resembles Denver’s 24-12 mark, but the Celtics are 2nd in the East (and the Nuggets are 4th in the West)
Torrid Turnaround: It was a rocky start at 0-3, then 5-7, for coach Joe Mazzulla’s crew without Jayson Tatum, but they’ve since gone 18-5 — the Association’s best record in that span
Brown’s Rise: As the Celtics search for a fifth straight victory tonight, they’ll again be guided by Jaylen Brown, who boasts 29.6 ppg on a career-best 50.1% shooting
Denver has had to learn life without Nikola Jokić (knee). The group relied on its deep bench against Philadelphia for a hard-fought OT win on Monday, with several other starters injured.
“It’s just fun to see all these guys have a moment,” said coach David Adelman. “And then for the collective energy and the group to get rewarded for it.”
4. LP SPOTLIGHT: VETERAN SUPERSTARS LIGHTING UP 2026
In the first week of the New Year, a trio of household names have been taking over games for three surging teams.
Clippers at Knicks (7:30 ET): The league’s 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.
Top Scorer, Elite D: 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
Staying Power: 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
“It’s a different role than I’ve played before,” Kawhi said after Monday’s win over the Warriors. “Just being aggressive all game, shoot as many shots as possible. I’m still getting used to it, and it’s been great.”
Bucks at Warriors (10 ET): Giannis has the Bucks eyeing a third straight win and fifth in six games since his return, while the Warriors turn from Kawhi’s hot hand to the fired-up Greek Freak.
Grand Return: In five games since returning from a calf injury, Giannis has averaged 30.6 points and 9.6 rebounds
34 In ‘26: Antetokounmpo’s 33.5 points over his last two games rank top-3 in scoring so far in 2026
Speaking Of Superstars: Steph is leading Golden State in Year 17 with his highest-scoring season since 2022-’23 (28.7 ppg), while making a league-best 4.8 threes a game
Rockets at Blazers (10 ET): Houston enters a two-game set in Portland off the hype of KD’s game-winner vs. Phoenix, while the Blazers have won three straight and five of their last six.
Calling Game: Durant looks to feed off his 11th career game-winning shot in the final 10 seconds
New Year, Next Level: Three games in, KD is one of six players to average 25/5/5 on 50 FG% or better so far in 2026
Blazers’ Best: Deni Avdija has increased to 27.3 points per game to lead Portland in its strong six-game stretch
5. NBA ALL-STAR VOTING: THE 2ND FAN RETURNS & WHAT’S NEXT
Only one week remains 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 2nd fan returns were unveiled.
At The Top: For the second straight week, Luka Dončić paces the West and Giannis Antetokounmpo tops the East in fan voting, with Dončić once again holding the overall lead.
On The Rise: The West’s 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.
Making Noise: 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.
Triple Your Vote: 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 “3-for-1 Day,” where votes count three times. Submit your picks now.
One Week Left: Fan voting concludes on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 11:59 p.m. ET
The Reveal: NBC and Peacock will announce the All-Star Game starters on Monday, Jan. 19
The Full Field: Seven more players from each conference will be selected by NBA head coaches, rounding out this year’s 24 All-Stars
US vs. World: The 2026 All-Star Game takes place on Feb. 15 at the LA Clippers’ Intuit Dome on NBC & Peacock (5 ET).
Under a new ASG format, 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.
The Finale: 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