{"id":529824,"date":"2026-01-11T16:37:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T16:37:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/529824\/"},"modified":"2026-01-11T16:37:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T16:37:19","slug":"starting-5-jan-11-spurs-clips-stifle-cs-pistons-cavs-hold-off-wolves-avdija-mania-hits-portland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/529824\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting 5, Jan. 11: Spurs & Clips stifle C\u2019s & Pistons, Cavs hold off Wolves, Avdija mania hits Portland"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Wemby\u00a0whips and rips the rim.<\/p>\n

A statement dunk\u00a0in another statement Spurs win.<\/p>\n

\"Victor<\/p>\n

5 STORIES IN TODAY\u2019S EDITION<\/p>\n

Jan. 11, 2026<\/p>\n

Saturday Stars: Wemby\u2019s Spurs, Kawhi\u2019s Clips lock down top East teams<\/p>\n

East Over West: Mitchell, Cavs get even with Wolves, Bulls bounce Coop, Mavs<\/p>\n

Sky-High Scoring:\u00a0Hornets hit 150-point mark, Pacers pile points for consecutive wins<\/p>\n

Sunday Spotlight:\u00a0Knicks visit Portland where Avdija Mania fuels NBA\u2019s hottest team<\/p>\n

League Pass:\u00a0This Pelicans pair gives NOLA hope and starts Sunday\u2019s 10-game slate<\/p>\n

BUT FIRST \u2026<\/p>\n

\"Scores<\/p>\n

Sunday is stuffed\u00a0with hoops as ten games tip on League Pass. Ant\u2019s Wolves host Wemby and the Spurs (7 ET,\u00a0Tap To Watch<\/a>), while the Sixers-Raptors rivalry renews in Toronto (6 ET,\u00a0Tap To Watch<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Who Are Your All-Stars?\u00a0Just three more chances to vote for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game starters. Submit your daily ballot through Jan. 14 using your NBA ID. Time\u2019s winding down,\u00a0vote now<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1. SATURDAY\u2019S STARS: SURGING SPURS, CLIPS SLOW DOWN EAST\u2019S BEST
\n\"Victor<\/p>\n

Brian Babineau\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Victor Wembanyama\u00a0and the Spurs tested their third-ranked defense against the league\u2019s top offense Saturday night.<\/p>\n

Result:\u00a0Scorers beware.<\/p>\n

Spurs 100, Celtics 95:\u00a0In a tight contest where neither team led by double-digits, Wemby (21 pts, 6 reb, 3 blk) and the Spurs held the C\u2019s to a season-low 95 points and made their move in the final 4:26 with a 16-6 closeout, fueled by seven of Keldon Johnson\u2019s 18 points. |\u00a0Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Offensive Looks:\u00a0De\u2019Aaron Fox (9 reb, 6 ast)\u00a0matched Wemby\u2019s 21 points<\/a>\u00a0to lead the Spurs offense, while Victor made an impact in 26 minutes, coming off the bench (knee) for the ninth time
\nMeeting The Moment: The Spurs\u00a0are now 9-4 vs. the top-10 teams by record in the league this season
\nTwo-Man Attack:\u00a0Derrick White (29 pts, 9 reb, 5 3s) and Jaylen Brown (27 pts, 8 reb, 7 ast) led the Celtics, accounting for 58.9% of Boston\u2019s total offense<\/p>\n

\"Kawhi<\/p>\n

Clippers 98, Pistons 92:\u00a0Kawhi Leonard (26 pts, 8 reb, 4 stl) led a 70-point attack with John Collins (25 pts, 7 reb, 4 blk, 4 stl) and James Harden (19 pts, 7 reb, 7 ast), as the Clippers\u00a0came back from 19-down<\/a>, holding the Pistons, without Cade Cunningham (wrist), to a season-low 92 points. |\u00a0Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Patience Play:\u00a0The Clips\u2019 25-8 4th-quarter run put them ahead for good with two minutes remaining, their first lead since 1-0 in the game\u2019s opening minute
\nClippers Clamps:\u00a0LA held Detroit to 37 2nd-half points, including just 16 in the pivotal 4th quarter
\nDuncan\u2019s Day: Robinson\u2019s 20 points with five triples led Detroit<\/p>\n

\"Ausar<\/p>\n

2. HOLDING HOME COURT: CAVS TURN TABLES ON WOLVES, BULLS CRUISE<\/p>\n

\"Donovan<\/p>\n

On Thursday\u00a0in Minnesota, 10,000-point scorer Ant Edwards and the Wolves pulled away from the Cavs in the 3rd quarter.<\/p>\n

When\u00a0it started to happen again Saturday at home in the 2nd, Donovan Mitchell and crew knew what to do.<\/p>\n

Cavaliers 145, TWolves 134:\u00a0Cleveland was in rare form as Mitchell (28 pts, 8 ast) led five 20+ point Cavs scorers in a shootout to get back at Minnesota for Thursday\u2019s loss and snap the Wolves\u2019 four-game win streak. |\u00a0Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Team Of 20+:\u00a0For the the 10th time in the NBA since 2000, and second time in Cavs history,\u00a0five teammates scored 20+ points<\/a>: Evan Mobley (24 pts), Jaylon Tyson (23), Darius Garland (22), Sam Merrill (20) and Mitchell
\nSignature Spida:\u00a0The league\u2019s leading 2nd-half scorer (17.6 pts) turned it on in the 3rd quarter, netting 12 points as Cleveland took the lead and pulled away with a 12-0 run and an 83-point 2nd half
\nScoring Combos:\u00a0Edwards (25 pts), Naz Reid (25) and Julius Randle (20) formed a 20+ point trio for Minnesota
\n\u201cGuys responded.\u00a0That\u2019s big for the mental,\u201d Mitchell said of Cleveland avenging Thursday\u2019s loss. \u201cIt was kind of like a playoff feel:\u00a0You go there, play a game; You come here, we made adjustments. We locked in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Coby<\/p>\n

Bulls 125, Mavericks 107:\u00a0Coby White (22 pts) and Ayo Dosumnu (20 pts, 8 ast, 4 stl) led seven Bulls scoring over 13 points as Chicago never trailed in snapping a three-game skid.|\u00a0Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Dallas Depth:\u00a0Ryan Nembhard (16 pts, 6 ast) led six Mavs in double-figures, including Cooper Flagg (11 pts), as Dallas played without Anthony Davis (hand<\/a>)<\/p>\n

3. SKY-HIGH SCORING: HORNETS HIT 150, PACERS PAIR WINS<\/p>\n

\"LaMelo<\/p>\n

Hornets 150, Jazz 95:\u00a0Charlotte poured in the second-most points for the second largest win in team history, jumping out to a 39-8 start and never looking back. Nine Hornets scored in double-figures for the second time this season. |\u00a0Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

High-Scoring Hive:\u00a0Tre Mann paced Charlotte with 20 points, Brandon Miller had 18, LaMelo Ball added 17, and Grant Williams got nine points\u00a0in his first action<\/a>\u00a0since Nov. 2024 (knee)<\/p>\n

\"Andrew<\/p>\n

Ron Hoskins\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Pacers 123, Heat 99:\u00a0Andrew Nembhard\u2019s 29 points (6 reb, 9 ast) led Indy\u2019s seven double-figure scorers as the Pacers never trailed in a second consecutive victory, topping Tyler Herro (21 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast) and the Heat. |\u00a0Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

4. LEAGUE PASS SPOTLIGHT: BLAZING-HOT PORTLAND PRAISES AVDIJA, HOSTS KNICKS<\/p>\n

\"Deni<\/p>\n

Five\u00a0straight wins\u00a0and \u201cM-V-P\u201d chants raining down in the clutch.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been\u00a0a fun week\u00a0of basketball in Portland, Oregon.<\/p>\n

Knicks at Blazers (6 ET):\u00a0The league\u2019s hottest team looks to extend the longest active win streak, as the Blazers wrap up a four-game homestand against the Knicks,\u00a0as one of\u00a010 games on\u00a0NBA League Pass\u00a0today.<\/p>\n

The upstart\u00a0Portland\u00a0crew\u00a0that earlier this season handed OKC its first loss \u2013 and also owns wins over the Lakers, Nuggets and a 3-0 record against the Warriors \u2013 has now won seven of its last eight games.<\/p>\n

Clutch PDX:\u00a0In that stretch, Portland is 5-0 in clutch games, defeating Boston, Dallas, San Antonio and Houston twice
\n\u201cM-V-P!\u201d\u00a0That\u2019s when breakout star Deni Avdija has heard the crowd chant his name, boosting up to 31.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 7.6 assists during the five-game win streak, including a season-high 41 points vs. Houston
\n\u201cIt\u2019s any player\u2019s dream\u00a0to see the crowd support,\u201d Avdija said. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing.\u201d
\n\u201cIt\u2019s really good for our team,\u201d\u00a0Shaedon Sharpe said of Avdija. \u201cHe\u2019s been real aggressive. We love that for him.\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m super happy for him,\u201d\u00a0Toumani Camara said. \u201cI see him work so much on his game, how much he loves the game of basketball, how much he loves winning. Everybody\u2019s able to see it now.\u201d<\/p>\n

A win Sunday\u00a0would get Portland back to .500 at 20-20, which would be the team\u2019s best start since 2020-21.<\/p>\n

5. ON LEAGUE PASS: PELS\u2019 POTENT ROOKIES START 10-GAME SUNDAY IN ORLANDO<\/p>\n

\"Jeremiah<\/p>\n

This season\u2019s\u00a0impactful rookie class has already provided a pair of 700-point scorers, a\u00a03-point shooter<\/a>\u00a0on pace with Steph, and two triple-doubles.<\/p>\n

Both\u00a0triple-doubles belong to Derik Queen, who, alongside fellow top-five rookie scorer and Pelicans teammate Jeremiah Fears, is providing hope in New Orleans.<\/p>\n

From\u00a0NBA.com\u2019s Steve Aschburner:<\/p>\n

Both have earned\u00a0starting spots that would be legitimate even with healthier veterans on board. And both have been regulars on NBA.com\u2019s Kia Rookie Ladder, the weekly rankings in which New Orleans is the only franchise to consistently place multiple players. (In the current edition, Queen ranks fourth, Fears eighth.)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe looked at the lottery\u00a0and said, \u2018Wow, it\u2019d be great if we could get both of those guys, and it may cost us,\u2019\u201d Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars told ESPN in November. \u201cBut if you truly believe they can be foundational pieces for your success long term, then we\u2019ll do what we have to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt simply came down to\u00a0we have this guard that we really, really love and this young big that we really, really love.\u201d<\/p>\n

That love persists,\u00a0through the season\u2019s setbacks and disappointments thus far. Queen and Fears were acquired last June 25 with the idea they would be pieces of a brighter future in the Big Easy. But already, in the present, they have emerged as two positives, contributing beyond their years or experience.<\/p>\n

Read more\u00a0from Aschburner about the hope Queen and Fears are providing in New Orleans,\u00a0here<\/a>\u2026<\/p>\n

The Pelicans\u00a0get Sunday\u2019s 10-game slate started in Orlando (3 ET).<\/p>\n

Elsewhere,\u00a0the Wolves look to bounce back hosting the Spurs in an elite West matchup (7 ET), plus Maxey, Embiid and the Sixers seek their 6th win in their last seven games, visiting their East rival Raptors (6 ET).<\/p>\n

Nets at Grizzlies\u00a0(3:30 ET)
\nHeat at Thunder\u00a0(7 ET)
\nBucks at Nuggets\u00a0(8 ET)
\nWizards at Suns\u00a0(8 ET)
\nHawks at Warriors\u00a0(8:30 ET)
\nRockets at Kings\u00a0(9 ET)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Wemby\u00a0whips and rips the rim. A statement dunk\u00a0in another statement Spurs win. 5 STORIES IN TODAY\u2019S EDITION Jan.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":529825,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3773],"tags":[19484,7,73213,296,188,3860,73211,6,50537,297,73212],"class_list":{"0":"post-529824","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-detroit-pistons","8":"tag-19484","9":"tag-basketball","10":"tag-deni-avdijas-rise","11":"tag-detroit","12":"tag-detroit-pistons","13":"tag-detroitpistons","14":"tag-jan-11","15":"tag-nba","16":"tag-nba-starting-5-newsletter","17":"tag-pistons","18":"tag-victor-wembanyama-leads-spurs-over-celtics"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/115877448954891665","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/529824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=529824"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/529824\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/529825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=529824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=529824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=529824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}