Starting 5: Anthony Edwards caps win; What to watch for in Week 13

A hesi, with no hesitation.

Anthony Edwards sealed a 19-point rally for another Wolves win on Sunday. See what else is trending around the NBA in today’s edition.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

To The Wire: Ant says, “Let me get it” in clutch time, Raptors overcome Maxey in OT

West Heat: OKC gets back on track, Denver finds a way again, Phoenix keeps cooking

Roundup: Knicks cool off Blazers, Magic & Hawks dub, Kings clip Rockets, Grizz rally

What’s Trending – MVP Monday: A pair of Kia MVP candidates take the floor tonight in Jaylen Brown & Luka Dončić

What’s Trending – Europe Games: Grizzlies & Magic meet in Berlin & London this week. Plus, MLK Day awaits

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Six games tip off tonight, highlighted by an East showdown on Peacock as the Celtics visit the Pacers (7:30 ET | Tap to Watch).

Name Your All-Stars: Only three days remain to vote for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game starters. Submit your daily ballot through Wednesday, Jan. 14, using your NBA ID. The clock’s ticking, vote now.

Mark Your Calendar: Later this week, the NBA goes global as the Magic and Grizzlies square off in Berlin and London. See more key dates to know below:

• Thursday, Jan. 15: NBA Berlin Game 2026 – Magic vs. Grizzlies at Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany (2 ET, Prime)
• Sunday, Jan. 18: NBA London Game 2026 – Magic vs. Grizzlies at The O2 Arena in London, England (Noon ET, Prime)
• Monday, Jan. 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day offers a 9-game slate, including four across NBC & Peacock: Bucks-Hawks, Thunder-Cavs, Mavs-Knicks, Celtics-Pistons
• Thursday, Feb. 5: NBA Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET)
• Sunday, Feb. 15: 2026 NBA All-Star takes place Feb. 13-15 at the LA Clippers’ Intuit Dome, capped by the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday on NBC (5 ET)

1. SUNDAY’S BEST: TOP-5 DUELS GO DOWN TO THE WIRE

Three nights after reaching 10,000 career points, Anthony Edwards needed two more for a win on Sunday.

With the Wolves down one and 20 seconds left, Edwards weighed his options at the top of the key – with a 7-foot-4 defensive menace standing in his way.

Not for long, though.

Wolves 104, Spurs 103: Edwards shook Victor Wembanyama, snaked into the lane and kissed home a tough go-ahead runner with 16 seconds left to complete a 19-point rally over the Spurs, marking Minnesota’s fourth win in five games. | Recap

• Superstar Duel: Wemby led all scorers (29 pts, 7 reb, 3 stl), while Edwards finished with 23 points, including 9 in the 4th
• Ant Ignition: That sparked a 33-18 closing quarter for Minnesota, which took its first lead of the game with 2:19 left
• “I don’t care what happens in the first three quarters,” said Edwards postgame. “4th quarter, four minutes left – for the rest of the game, let me get it.”
• Wolves Howling: The rally improves Minnesota to an NBA-best 16-6 since Thanksgiving as they rise to 4th out West
• Ant Eating: In that span, Edwards is posting 29.9 ppg, while shooting 41.1% from 3 as the Wolves rank 4th in scoring (120.7 ppg)
• Spurs’ Success: San Antonio is tied for the 2nd-most wins since Thanksgiving, sitting 2nd out West, with Wemby averaging 22.5 pts, 9.5 reb and 2 blk in the last month

In the East, a showdown between two top-5 teams needed extra hoops to decide a winner.

Raptors 116, 76ers 115 (OT): After squandering a 14-point 2nd-quarter lead, Toronto rallied from 9 down in the 4th, where Jamal Shead’s game-tying bucket with 2 seconds left forced OT.

And while Tyrese Maxey (38 pts, 5 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk) refused to let Philly fade, Scottie Barnes (31 pts, 7 reb, 8 ast) knocked down the go-ahead free throw with 0.8 seconds to play, lifting the Raptors in a game that featured 15 ties and 16 lead changes. | Recap

• Rolling Raps: Shead (22 pts, 6 ast), Immanuel Quickley (20 pts, 7 ast) and Collin Murray-Boyles (17 pts, 15 reb, 3 stl, 3 blk) came up big for Toronto, which has won four of its last five
• East Race: Anchored by the 6th-best scoring defense, Toronto (24-16) is 4th in the East, one game back of 3rd-place Boston
• Run It Back: The Sixers, who are 1.5 games back of the Raptors, get a second crack at Toronto tonight (7:30 ET, League Pass)

2. WEST HEAT: OKC & DENVER WIN AGAIN, SUNS SURGE

Atop the West, the defending champs are back to their winning ways.

Thunder 124, Heat 112: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was clinical (29 pts, 5 reb, 8 ast), sparking a 70-53 2nd half for OKC, which outpaced Miami for its third straight win after dropping back-to-back games. | Recap

• Top Defense: It’s the Thunder’s 29th time holding a team to 112 points or fewer in a game this season, seven more than the next closest team (TOR: 22)
• Top Player: SGA (31.9 ppg), who only trails Luka Dončić in scoring this season, now has 110 straight games of 20+ points – 16 shy of Wilt Chamberlain’s record (126)
• Top Record: The Thunder (33-7) are the only team in the NBA with 30+ wins
• Top Rematch: OKC visits San Antonio on Tuesday for a clash between the West’s top two seeds (8 ET, NBC), with the rival Spurs holding a 3-0 edge against the defending champs this season

While OKC is back rolling behind its Kia MVP candidate, the Nuggets are finding ways to win without theirs.

Nuggets 108, Bucks 104: Despite being without Nikola Jokić (knee) and Jamal Murray (ankle), Denver used a complete team effort to earn its third win in four games, staving off the Bucks despite a monster night from Giannis Antetokounmpo (31 pts, 8 reb, 11 ast). | Recap

• All Hands: Tim Hardaway Jr. (25 pts, 5 3s), Aaron Gordon (23 pts, 6 reb) and Peyton Watson (19 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast) led the way as Denver improved to 4-3 since Jokić’s absence on Dec. 29
• Hot Hand: In that stretch, Watson has averaged 23.7 ppg, including a career-best six straight 20-pointers entering Sunday
• Still Here: Denver (26-13) is 3rd out West, one game behind San Antonio

Suns 112, Wizards 93: Royce O’Neale (19 pts, 7 reb) and Devin Booker (17 pts, 8 ast) led six Suns in double-figures as Phoenix raced past Washington for its third straight win and its ninth dub in 11 games. | Recap

• Identity Shift: It’s the sixth time this season the Suns have held their opponent under 100 points – something they accomplished eight times in 2024-25
• ICYMI: The Wizards officially acquired four-time All-Star Trae Young last week in a trade with the Hawks for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert

3. ROUNDUP: KNICKS SLOW BLAZERS; MAGIC, HAWKS, KINGS & GRIZZ DUB

Entering Sunday on a 1-4 slide, the Knicks responded by dousing one of the league’s hottest teams.

Knicks 123, Blazers 114: Jalen Brunson (26 pts, 6 reb, 8 ast), OG Anunoby (24 pts, 7 reb) and Karl-Anthony Towns (20 pts, 11 reb) were feeling it as New York held off Deni Avdija (25 pts) and Portland late, snapping the Blazers’ five-game win streak. | Recap

• Chasing Detroit: The Knicks closed on a 20-10 run to improve to 25-15 – 3.5 games back of the Pistons (28-10) for 1st in the East
• Avdija Blazing: Amid a career year, Avdija has found another level during Portland’s 5-1 run, averaging 30.3 pts, 6.5 reb and 7 ast in that span

Magic 128, Pelicans 118: Trailing by 7 entering the 4th, Desmond Bane (27 pts), Anthony Black (26 pts, 7 ast) and Paolo Banchero (23 pts, 8 reb, 8 ast) sparked a 37-20 closing frame for Orlando, as it stormed past Zion Williamson (22 pts) and the Pels. | Recap

• Strong Trio: Bane (12), Banchero (9) and Black (7) combined for 28 points in the 4th as Orlando jumped Cleveland for 6th in the East via tiebreaker (both 22-18)
• Welcome Back, Moe: Moe Wagner received a standing ovation as he checked into his first game since tearing his ACL in Dec. 2024

Hawks 124, Warriors 111: Jalen Johnson (23 pts, 11 reb, 6 ast, 2 blk) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (24 pts, 3 stl) shined on both ends as Atlanta soared to its third straight win, despite 30-pieces from Steph Curry (31 pts, 5 ast) and Jimmy Butler III (30 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast). | Recap

• Do-It-All JJ: Averaging career numbers across the board, Johnson leads Atlanta in points (23.7), rebounds (10.3) and assists (8.2) per game
• CJ Debuts: CJ McCollum added 12 points and 4 dimes in his first game as a Hawk

Kings 111, Rockets 98: Amen Thompson put on a show (31 pts, 13 reb, 6 ast, 1 poster), but it wasn’t enough to top Sacramento as DeMar DeRozan (22 pts, 6 ast), Russell Westbrook (15 pts, 6 reb, 10 ast) and four other Kings scored 10+ to snap a seven-game skid. | Recap

• KD’s Milestone Weekend: Two nights after passing Wilt Chamberlain for 7th on the all-time scoring list, Kevin Durant added to his career total with 23 points and 6 dimes

Grizzlies 103, Nets 98: Rookie Cedric Coward (21 pts, 8 reb, 5 3s) nailed two massive triples amid a 13-0 closing blitz in the final 2:47, jolting the Grizz past Noah Clowney (17 pts, 6 reb, 3 stl) and the Nets. | Recap

4. WHAT’S TRENDING: KIA MVP CANDIDATES TAKE THE FLOOR TONIGHT

The Kia MVP race continues to evolve, changing week by week.

Tonight, multiple top candidates hit the hardwood.

Jaylen Brown, who is 3rd in Shaun Powell’s latest Kia MVP Ladder, leads the Celtics against the Pacers (7:30 ET, Peacock). Boston similarly sits in 3rd place in the East with a chance to get back in the win column after dropping two of its last three games.

• Make It Rain: The Celtics own a 121.9 OffRtg, buoyed by 15.9 3-pointers made per game
• Blistering Pace: Brown is responsible for 29.5 ppg in 2025-26 – setting a career-best pace – and led the league in scoring in December (31.7 ppg)
• Stepping Up: Derrick White (18.6 ppg, 5.2 apg) and Payton Pritchard (16.8 ppg, 5.2 apg) have helped set a winning foundation for Boston in Jayson Tatum’s absence

Luka Dončić and the Lakers travel north to take on the Kings (10 ET, League Pass). The five-time All-NBA selection ranks 4th on the latest Kia MVP Ladder.

• Lucky No. 3: With 33.3 ppg, Dončić is the top scorer in the league, and sits only 33 points away from 1,000 this season
• Special Company: If he reaches that milestone tonight, he’d become only the 2nd Laker all-time to score 1,000 in just 30 games played to start a season, joining Elgin Baylor (3x)
• King’s Court: LeBron James, meanwhile, has four consecutive games with 25+ points and has averaged 26 ppg since turning 41 on Dec. 30

The Clippers are cruising behind Kawhi Leonard entering tonight’s game against the Hornets (10:30 ET, League Pass).

• Tides Turned: After a 6-21 start, LA has won nine of its last 11 games, with Leonard averaging a team-high 32.4 ppg in that span
• Eyeing Shaq: James Harden enters this matchup with sights on history. He needs 15 points to pass Shaquille O’Neal for 9th place on the all-time scoring list

The League Pass action doesn’t end there as the Cavs host the Jazz (7 ET), the Sixers and Raptors run it back (7:30 ET), and the Nets visit the Mavs (8:30 ET).

5. WHAT’S TRENDING: EUROPE GAMES & MLK DAY UP NEXT

The NBA goes global this week as the Grizzlies and Magic take the floor in back-to-back international showcases, tipping off Thursday in Berlin before closing the weekend on Sunday in London, with both games streaming on Prime.

• NBA Berlin Game 2026: Magic vs. Grizzlies at Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany | Thursday, Jan. 15 (2 ET, Prime)
• NBA London Game 2026: Magic vs. Grizzlies at The O2 Arena in London, England | Sunday, Jan. 18 (Noon ET, Prime)

The NBA Berlin Game 2026 presented by Tissot will mark the 14th game featuring an NBA team in Germany since 1984 and the league’s first regular-season game in the country.

The NBA London Game 2026 presented by Tissot will be the 19th game featuring an NBA team in the UK since 1993 and the league’s 10th regular-season game in London.

MLK Day: Next Monday, the NBA continues its tradition of honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a nine-game hoops marathon, highlighted by four matchups on NBC & Peacock.

• Bucks at Hawks (1 ET, Peacock): The holiday – featuring league-wide initiatives promoting unity, togetherness and equality – begins in Dr. King’s hometown of Atlanta, where the Hawks host Giannis’ Bucks
• Thunder at Cavaliers (2:30 ET, NBC/Peacock): Last season’s top regular-season teams meet for the first time in 2025-26. Last season, they split two highly anticipated duels.
• Mavericks at Knicks (5 ET, NBC/Peacock): Cooper Flagg makes his NBA Madison Square Garden debut as the Mavs visit the Knicks
• Celtics at Pistons (8 ET, NBC/Peacock): A top-3 East matchup wraps the MLK national slate as Cade Cunningham and the 1st-place Pistons host Jaylen Brown and the surging C’s

Before the week wraps, fans have one last chance to shape the 2026 NBA All-Star Game. Voting for starters closes Wednesday with a special 3-for-1 day, following last week’s release of the 2nd fan returns.

The starters will be revealed next Monday on NBC & Peacock, which will also stream the All-Star Game, taking place Sunday, Feb. 15, at the LA Clippers’ Intuit Dome (5 ET).

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