Everybody has their all-time Starting 5.

Candace Parker made her picks in the NBA.com Mailbag.

“MJ, Kobe, LeBron, Steph and … Kevin Garnett. (Please don’t hate me, Shaq!)”

Shaq’s reaction to being left off her list is must-see comedy.

THE LINEUP 🏀

1. 🛑 Cavs, Suns snap win streaks
2. 💥 East Playoff race tightens
3. 🚀 Sengun shines in SA
4. 📺 Kawhi, Clips’ playoff push
5. 📺 Evolution of Giannis + Dame

ESPN doubleheader: James Harden returns to Houston as the Clippers face the Rockets (7:30 ET, ESPN). After Tuesday’s losses by the Celtics and Nuggets, the Bucks own the longest active win streak in the league. They’ll try to push it to seven in a row when they visit the Warriors (10 ET, ESPN).

1. CELTICS (11), NUGGETS (6) HAVE WIN STREAKS SNAPPED

Wade fuels 22-point comeback: The Cavs trailed by 22 with nine minutes to play in the fourth. Then Dean Wade took over the game. He attempted five 3s, with the Cleveland crowd — including the Kelce Bros — erupting louder and louder with each successive triple.

• Wade scored 20 of his career-high 23 points in the fourth quarter, fueling a 34-10 run to lift the Cavs to a stunning 105-104 win over the league-leading Celtics, snapping Boston’s 11-game win streak in the process. Recap | Must-See Finish: The Final 9:15

Kelces bobblehead night: There to see the epic comeback? Ohio’s own Travis and Jason Kelce, who were in the building for their bobblehead night. Jason got a framed jersey to celebrate his retirement, and the celebrity bros (and lifelong Cavs fans) met up with Spida Mitchell … then were delivered beverages courtside.

• Jason’s Review: “In person, I look way better than expected.”
• Travis postgame: “I think we’re ready for Playoffs, baby!”

Trading Leads: Wade’s fifth 3 of the fourth gave the Cavs the lead.

• Kristaps Porzingis forced the turnover on defense, then finished the and-1 in transition to put Boston back up.
• Wade showed he’s more than a shooter, as he crashed the glass for the putback dunk to give the Cavs a one-point lead with 19 seconds left.
• Boston’s Final Shot: Jayson Tatum’s fadeaway jumper with 0.7 seconds left was initially called a foul on Darius Garland. The Cavs challenged the call and it was overturned. Following the game, Crew Chief Zach Zarba explained the decision:
• “In our opinion, there was clear and conclusive evidence that the leg extension by Tatum created that marginal contact with the defender Garland where otherwise contact wouldn’t have been made. That’s why it was overturned.”

Suns rise up in overtime: After the Suns struggled to score in the fourth quarter, being outscored 21-12 as the Nuggets forced overtime, the extra session was a different story for Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Co. Durant scored eight points in OT, Beal added five as the Suns snapped the Nuggets’ six-game win streak and improved to 3-0 in overtime games this season. Recap

• Grayson’s great start: Grayson Allen hit his first eight 3s of the game, finished 8-of-12 from deep for 28 points to help make up for the missing 27 points from the injured Devin Booker, who missed his second game with an ankle sprain
• KD in the clutch: On a night when his normally reliable shot wasn’t falling, Durant kept shooting. He put up 34 shots – tied for the second-most in his career – and got hot at the right time, nailing the first and last 3 of overtime with a midrange pull-up sandwiched between to help Phoenix avoid a three-game slide

• Denver Duo: Nikola Jokic (25 pts, 16 reb) and Jamal Murray (28 pts, 9 ast) combined for 53 points, with three coming on this buzzer-beating Sombor Shuffle from deep
• Potential first-round matchup: If the Playoffs started today, the No. 3 Nuggets and No. 6 Suns would meet in the opening round after the Nuggets eliminated the Suns in six games in the West Semis last year. Neither team moved in the standings on Tuesday

2. EAST PLAYOFF RACE TIGHTENS

The Nos. 4-8 seeds in the East were in action on Tuesday, entering the night separated by 2.5 games. At night’s end, the Nos. 4-7 seeds had scrambled and all five teams were separated by just 1.5 games. Let’s dive into how it happened.

Hawks stifle Knicks: Jalen Johnson (26 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast) and Dejounte Murray (21 pts, 9 reb, 6 ast) combined for 47 points to help the Hawks end a two-game slide with a 116-100 win over the Knicks. Recap

• Playoff Race (NYK ⬇️): NY’s loss combined with Orlando’s win dropped the Knicks to fifth in the East (Magic own the head-to-head tiebreaker)
• Play-In Race (ATL ↔️): Atlanta’s win maintained their No. 10 spot over Brooklyn

D-S Night In BK: The Nets got 20 points apiece from Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schroder and seven points and a 360 slam from Dennis Smith Jr. in a 112-107 win over the Sixers. Recap

• Play-In Race (PHI ⬇️, BKN ↔️): The loss dropped Philadelphia into the Play-In field at No. 7, while the win brought the Nets within 2.5 games of the fourth and final spot in the Play-In

Magic keep rollin: Paolo Banchero (22 pts, 5 reb) led six players in double figures in the Magic’s 101-89 win over the Hornets for Orlando’s fourth straight win and seventh in the last eight games. What was better: Jalen Suggs’ slam or Gary Harris’ reaction? Recap

• Playoff Race (ORL ⬆️): Orlando’s win coupled with losses by New York and Philadelphia, moved the Magic up to fourth in the East

Miami Moves Up: Miami got a combined 44 points from Jimmy Butler (26 pts, 8 ast) and Bam Adebayo (18 pts, 7 reb) to lead the Heat to a 118-110 win over the Pistons for their eighth win in their last 10 games. Recap

• Playoff Race (MIA ⬆️): The win lifted the Heat out of the Play-In and into sixth place – and just a half game back of fourth

Pacers’ balance tops Luka’s brilliance: Myles Turner (20) and Tyrese Haliburton (19 pts, 11 ast) led nine Pacers in double figures to overcome Luka Doncic’s fourth straight 30+ point triple-double (game-high 39 pts, 10 reb, 11 ast) in a 137-120 win. Recap

• One Of Three: Luka joins Oscar Robertson (four straight in 1961) and Russell Westbrook (five straight in 2017) as the only players with at least four straight 30+ point triple-doubles
• Playoff Race (IND & DAL ↔️): Both teams entered Tuesday and finished Tuesday at No. 8 in their respective conferences

3. SENGUN’S CAREER NIGHT LEADS ROCKETS PAST SPURS

Sengun does it all: Third-year center Alperen Sengun had the best game of his young career as he exploded for a career-best 45 points to go with 16 boards and five steals to lead Houston to a 114-101 win over San Antonio. Recap

• He joined James Harden (Jan. 23, 2019) as only players in franchise history with at least 45 pts, 15 reb and 5 stl in a game
• He became the youngest player (21 years, 121 days) in NBA history with a 45/15/5 game
• He became just the fifth player to hit those mark since steals became an official stat in 1973-74, joining Anthony Davis (twice), Joel Embiid, Harden and John Drew

Trey day in The 6: Trey Murphy lived up to his name as he splashed 10 3-pointers on his way to a season-high 34 points as the Pelicans handled the Raptors 139-98. Brandon Ingram had 12 points on the night, none better than these two on the throwdown after some fancy handles. Recap

• Playoff Race (NOP ↔️): The Pelicans hold at No. 5 in the West, gaining a bit more cushion on Phoenix

4. KAWHI, CLIPPERS READY FOR PLAYOFF PUSH

Clippers at Rockets (7:30 ET, ESPN)

Clippers in the No. 4 spot: A 26-5 run from Dec. 2 – Feb. 5 vaulted the Clippers from 11th in the West into contention for the top spot in the conference with Minnesota, OKC and Denver. Since that run, LA has gone 5-6 over its last 11 games to drop three games back of first while holding a three-game lead for fourth.

• Latest Hurdle: After a slow start integrating James Harden into the mix early in the season, the Clippers found their stride and started rolling. Now they face another adjustment regarding a former MVP in Russell Westbrook, who is listed as week-to-week after surgery to repair a broken hand, after Russ became a key piece off the bench.

Kawhi’s best: Tonight will be Leonard’s 56th game of the season, one shy of the most games played in his four seasons in LA.

Not only has Kawhi been on the court, he’s been efficient, putting up near career-highs in shooting (52.1 FG%, 43% 3P%) and a career-best 88.8% from the free throw line. The near 50-40-90 season has the Claw’s true shooting percentage at a career-best 62.6%.

• Shared load: Kawhi’s efficiency is happening with his lowest usage rate (25.9%) since his time in San Antonio (2015-16)
• While led by their star quartet of Leonard, Westbrook, Harden and Paul George, the Clippers have depth to their lineup with sixth man Norm Powell (13.6 ppg, 45% 3P), Ivica Zubac (11.6 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 65.2% FG%) and Terrance Mann (8.0 ppg) complementing them
• That depth will be tested as they have to replace the contributions and energy that Westbrook provides. Having a healthy Kawhi, who is on pace to play the most games since 2016-17, should help LA’s hopes of securing a top-four playoff position

5. THE EVOLUTION OF GIANNIS & DAME

Bucks at Warriors (10 ET, ESPN)

As his nickname would indicate, Damian Lillard knows about the importance of time. When he and Giannis Antetokounmpo became teammates on Oct. 12, he knew it would take time to develop a partnership with the two-time MVP that allowed them to both maximize their talents.

Over 147 days and 62 games – 54 played together – the on-court and off-court chemistry between the two continued to grow.

• Dame: “For us, I think we have a good relationship. But I think both of us, what it comes down to is we just got to keep putting time into it and just keep getting to know each other. And then we both got to be willing to go to war for each other.“And we’re going to have to give something up for each other at times. He’s had a 60-point game and I’m like, ‘It ain’t my night tonight.’ It ain’t my night. Or this team doesn’t have anything for him, I’m going to play to that. And then when they try to go to that, then I’m going to make them pay for trying to take that away. We got to have that type of relationship where we see it and we just do it”

When it comes to sacrificing the individual for the group, their usage rates show both players have conceded possessions they would usually get in past seasons.

• Lillard’s Usage: 2022-23 (POR): 33.1%; 2023-24 (MIL): 27.5% (lowest since 2014-15)
• Giannis’ Usage: 2022-23: 34.0%; 2023-24: 32.0% (lowest since 2020-21, when Bucks won title)

The offensive numbers resemble that of a duo with more history together. Giannis and Dame not only rank second among qualified scoring duos in (55.3 ppg, just 0.1 behind Durant and Booker), their pairing has the eighth-highest offensive rating (122.3) of the 142 two-man lineups that have played 1,000+ minutes together.

The results are there as well. In their 54 games played together, Milwaukee is 39-15 (.722). However, the Bucks have not had the same success when only one is available. Monday’s win over LA has the Bucks 2-1 without Giannis, but they are 0-5 without Dame this season.

Giannis is listed as questionable for tonight’s game with Achilles tendinitis as the Bucks put their six-game win streak on the line against another formidable duo – the Splash Bros. from Golden State.

The Warriors enter Wednesday having won 13 of their past 17 games, but are coming off their biggest loss (52 points to Boston) in nearly three years (53 points at Toronto on Apr. 2, 2021 in a game played without Steph Curry, Klay Thompson or Draymond Green). How will they respond?