Starting 5 Daily Newsletter

Starting 5, Jan. 31: Grizzlies roar in epic West battle & NBA All-Star reserves unveiled

A heavyweight West duel goes down to the wire, Anthony Edwards and LeBron James shine, the NBA All-Star player pool is set and more.

NBA.com Staff

Updated on January 31, 2025 3:39 PM

1 no-look dime, 2 points for a poster and 3 All-Stars in Cleveland.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Jan. 31, 2025

All-Stars Set: A blend of emerging stars and established greats highlight the 2025 reserves

Heavyweight Statements: Grizzlies stifle red-hot Rockets, Cavs overcome ATL kryptonite

Rising Out West: Ant pours in 36, LeBron & Lakers dominate, Blazers win again

Friday Rematches: Sixers face Jokić’s Nuggets, Suns & Dubs battle for a third time, both on ESPN

Giannis vs. Wemby: An unstoppable force vs. a rim protector unlike any other

BUT FIRST … ⏰
A Friday full of hoops…

Seven games tip off tonight, headlined by an ESPN doubleheader as the surging Sixers face Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets (7:30 ET), before Kevin Durant and the Suns visit Steph Curry and the Warriors (10 ET).

Saturday on ABC (8:30 ET), The World’s Most Famous Arena plays host to the Knicks and Lakers in a showcase of superstars — and two of the NBA’s hottest teams.

Today’s Reads: ESPN on SGA’s interest in wins, not numbers … Memphis Commercial Appeal on Jaylen Wells’ defensive prowess … AJC on ESPN’s upcoming all-Black broadcast crew … the level of 🤯 in the comments on this Reddit thread about Jokic’s ‘never-look’ pass.

1. 2025 ALL-STAR RESERVES UNVEILED: WHAT TO KNOW

The 2025 NBA All-Star Game player pool is set.

Last night on TNT, the 14 reserves – seven from each conference, voted on by NBA head coaches – were revealed, completing the roster for the event’s first four-team, three-game mini-tournament.

The 14 reserves will join the 10 starters (announced last week) at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sunday, Feb. 16, with the tournament tipping off at 8 ET on TNT.

Key Takeaways: Before we break down how the four teams will take shape, let’s look at some notable highlights from the 2025 All-Star reserves and the field as a whole.

Fresh Faces: Six of the 14 reserves will make their first All-Star appearance: Victor Wembanyama (SAS), Jalen Williams (OKC), Alperen Sengun (HOU), Tyler Herro (MIA), Evan Mobley (CLE) and Cade Cunningham (DET)
West Vets: Joining LeBron James (record 21 selections), Kevin Durant (15) and Stephen Curry (11) in the West with double-digit selections are James Harden (11) and Anthony Davis (10)

East Experience: Meanwhile, Bucks teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo (starter) and Damian Lillard lead the East All-Stars with nine selections apiece
Duo Delight: Giannis & Dame are one of five duos in the field, joining LeBron & AD (LAL), SGA & JDub (OKC), KAT & Jalen Brunson (NYK) and Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown (BOS)
The Only Team With Three All-Stars? The NBA-best Cavs, with Mobley, Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell (starter)

Next Thursday, the NBA All-Star Draft will determine the rosters for three of the four All-Star teams, airing live on TNT at 6:30 ET.

How The Draft Works: Inside The NBA’s Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith will serve as the three GMs, each selecting eight players from the pool of 24 All-Stars
How The Tourney Works: The Castrol Rising Stars champion, designated as Team Candace, will serve as the fourth team in a single-elimination semifinal. The winning teams will then advance to face each other in a winner-take-all title game, where a champion will be crowned

2. GRIZZLIES ROAR IN EPIC WEST BATTLE, CAVS CORRECT ATLANTA WOES

In a crucial West matchup, without their superstar guard and facing a team with the most clutch wins in the NBA — not to mention one that had already beaten them three times this season — the Grizzlies snatched a gutsy win.

Grizzlies 120, Rockets 119: In a game that featured 14 ties and 13 lead changes, Memphis rallied from a late 8-point deficit with a closing 13-4 run, capped by Jaren Jackson Jr.’s go-ahead free throws with 9 ticks left to edge out Houston, ending Houston’s four-game heater. | Recap | Watch The Final 4:15

Bear Fight: With Ja Morant out, Desmond Bane (24 pts, 12 reb, 6 ast), Luke Kennard (22 pts) and JJJ (21 pts) led the way for Memphis, which outscored Houston 64-53 in the 2nd half
“It’s our DNA,” said Bane postgame on the Grizzlies’ fight. “It’s been that way since I’ve been here and it ain’t ever gonna change.”
Race For 2: The Grizzlies are now a half-game back of the Rockets for 2nd place in the West, as the season series closes 3-1 in Houston’s favor
B-Day Ballin: Celebrating his 22nd birthday, Amen Thompson delivered another standout showing (21 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast, 4 blk) for Houston, who was without Alperen Sengun

After falling to the Hawks twice in November, the NBA-best Cavs got their revenge in Round 3.

Cavaliers 137, Hawks 115: Cleveland’s All-Star trio of Darius Garland (26 pts), Donovan Mitchell (24 pts) and Evan Mobley (16 pts, 10 reb) shined, as the Cavs dropped 71 points in the 1st half on their way to a decisive dub over Trae Young (15 pts, 10 ast) and Atlanta. | Recap

Hot Hands: Cleveland shot 58.2% from the field, their second-highest mark this season, to tally 135+ points for the sixth time
“It means a lot to me,” said Garland postgame on learning he was an All-Star just before tip-off. “I wasn’t expecting it … but it means a lot to me and the team. This is a team award.”
“So proud,” added Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson postgame. “To have three guys on the All-Star team, that’s phenomenal.”
Top Pick Leads ATL: Zaccharie Risacher scored a game-high 30 points, including 20 in the 1st half on 7-of-7 shooting, becoming the first teenager in the play-by-play era to drop 20+ points on 100% shooting in a half

3. RISING OUT WEST: WOLVES, LAKERS & BLAZERS STAY HOT

Wolves 138, Jazz 113: One night after dropping 33 points in a win over the Suns, Anthony Edwards went off for 36 on six treys along with 11 dimes and 3 blocks, while rookie Rob Dillingham added a career-high 19 points in a big win over Utah. | Recap

Leading The Pack: The Wolves have collected five straight dubs, with Edwards averaging 29.4 points and 7.2 assists in that span

Lakers 134, Wizards 96: LeBron James notched a game-high in points (24) and assists (11) as the Lakers took a 33-point lead into the break and never looked back for a bounce-back win after falling to Philly on Tuesday. | Recap

11 different Lakers scored, including Bronny James (5 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast), who showed off his playmaking with a tough and-1 followed by a smooth alley-oop assist
Hot & Cold: Los Angeles is 7-2 in its last 9 games, while Washington has dropped 16 straight

Blazers 119, Magic 90: How ‘bout those Blazers?! Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe poured in 23 points apiece, and Portland held Orlando to 55 points in the final three quarters to notch its sixth win in seven games. | Recap

On The Rise: The Blazers’ last 6-1 stretch? May 2021

4. ESPN DOUBLEHEADER: NUGGETS vs. 76ERS, SUNS vs. WARRIORS

Tonight, a surging Sixers squad takes on Kia MVP candidate Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets (7:30 ET, ESPN), before Kevin Durant and Devin Booker continue their pursuit of history as the Suns battle the Warriors (10 ET, ESPN).

Denver owned its first meeting with Philly, winning 144-109 on Jan. 21 to hand the Sixers their seventh straight loss.

Since then, Philly hasn’t lost, leaving it tied with Chicago for the final East Play-In spot as it seeks a season-best fifth-straight win on Friday.

Maxey-mum Effort: Tyrese Maxey is averaging 33.3 ppg and 6.5 apg on 52.7% shooting during Philly’s streak, highlighted by a 43-point night against the Lakers on Tuesday
Sizzling Sixer: The performance marked Maxey’s third straight 30-point game, a perfect time to ask the league’s all-time leading scorer for a memento
“I told [LeBron] after the game, I’ve waited five years to ask for a jersey,” said Maxey postgame. “He’s just like a big brother to me.”
One night later, Maxey went for 30 again in a win over the Kings to keep the Sixers rolling

Different Direction: After an 8-1 stretch, the Nuggets have dropped three straight but still hold a half-game lead over the Lakers for 4th-place in the West.

Not Joking Around: Jokić is scoring with unprecedented efficiency, boasting a 56.7 FG% and 47.2 3P% en route to averages of 29.7 ppg, 12.9 rpg and 10.1 apg
Where Does That Stack Up? No qualified player in NBA history has finished a season shooting 55%+ from the field & 45%+ from 3
The Russ Effect: Since moving to the starting lineup on Dec. 27, Russell Westbrook has helped Denver go 12-7, with the team leading the league in assists (31.1) and FG% (51.3) in that span
Best of the Best: The lineup of Westbrook, Jokić, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Christian Braun owns the NBA’s top OffRtg (125.9) among those having played a minimum of 150 minutes

A rubber match is on tap for the Suns and Warriors, set to battle for the third time this season after splitting their first two meetings.

In their Dec. 28 matchup, Jonathan Kuminga stole the show with a career-high 34 points in a 109-105 Golden State win, while Booker’s 27 lifted Phoenix to a 113-105 victory a month prior.

On A Heater: The 9th-place Suns have won eight of their last 11 games, while the Warriors — tied with the Kings for the No. 10 seed — look to build on Wednesday’s big win over OKC
Shining Horizon: Durant (27.3 ppg, 52.7 FG%) is nearing exclusive company, needing 94 more points to become the eighth player in league history to record 30,000
King of the Sun(s): Now in his 10th year with Phoenix, Booker is 91 points shy of passing Walter Davis for the most points in franchise history – a record that has stood since 1988

5. GIANNIS vs. WEMBY: TONIGHT ON LEAGUE PASS

One is an unstoppable downhill force. The other is a 7-foot-3 shot-erasing phenom.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama don’t just own the paint – they dominate it.

Whether it’s Giannis bulldozing through defenders or Wemby swatting shots that seem untouchable, both have turned the restricted area into their highlight reel zone.

Before they square off tonight on League Pass (8 ET), let’s look at how they’ve made the paint their playground.

The Greek Freak: Averaging the second-most points in the NBA (31.7), Giannis has feasted at the rim, scoring a league-high 21.3 points in the paint.

Diesel Company: That puts him on pace to join Shaq (1997-2002) as the only players to average 20+ PITP in back-to-back seasons since it was first tracked in 1997-98
Rare Blend: With a 6-foot-11, 243-pound frame and feet like a running back, there’s no stopping Antetokounmpo with a full head of steam…

Versatility: 34 isn’t just a downhill locomotive. While he leads the league in both FGM (9.4) and FG% (73.7) in the restricted area, his game stretches beyond the rim.

Another Layer: Giannis ranks 3rd in ppg on post-ups (4.6) and he’s shooting a career-high 44.8% on mid-range shots this season, along with 46.2% on hook shots, adding more dimensions to his inside attack

The Alien: Meanwhile, Wemby is allowing just 42.5% shooting – the best rate among players who contest 15+ field goals per game – while ranking 3rd in rim protection, allowing 49.8% shooting at the basket.

Relentless: Among the other top 3 rim-protectors (Daniel Gafford and Kristaps Porziņģis), Wemby contests the most inside shots, with 8.1 defended FGA per game
One Reason? Well, with an 8-foot wingspan, Wemby can simply get to shots that others can’t
Unshakeable: Even after biting on Domantas Sabonis’ initial shot fake (below), Wemby has the reach and athleticism to complete a full 360 and recover for the block

Always Lurking: Wemby’s defensive impact goes beyond the shots he blocks. His presence alone causes opponents to turn down opportunities at the rim, opting to take their chances elsewhere.

Don’t Go In There: When Wemby is off the court, teams take 32.9% of their shots against the Spurs at the rim. When he’s on, that number drops to 29.3%