“Ant-1!” A 103.5 Dunk Score and 3 points the old-fashioned way.

See every angle of Ant-Man’s newest poster here.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Jan. 10, 2025

History & Highlights: A record start, a clutch takeover and a Dunk of the Year candidate

Thursday Roundup: Ja returns for a crucial clash, plus big West wins around the league

OKC-NY Rematch: The Thunder’s gauntlet continues as they visit the Knicks at MSG

Paolo’s Return: After a 34-game absence, Orlando’s superstar could be back tonight

NBA All-Star Voting: The second fan returns are here, plus key All-Star dates to know

BUT FIRST … ⏰
Thursday’s scores and Friday’s slate…

Friday features seven games, headlined by a marquee interconference clash on NBA TV as the Thunder face the Knicks for the second time in eight days (7:30 ET).

More must-see matchups take the national spotlight next week:

• Monday, Jan. 13: Grizzlies at Rockets (8 ET, NBA TV)
• Monday, Jan. 13: Spurs at Lakers (10:30 ET, NBA TV)
• Tuesday, Jan. 14: Cavaliers at Pacers (7 ET, TNT/truTV/Max)
• Tuesday, Jan. 14: Nuggets at Mavericks (9:30 ET, TNT/truTV/Max)
• Wednesday, Jan. 15: Knicks at 76ers (7:30 ET, ESPN)
• Wednesday, Jan. 15: Heat at Lakers (10 ET, ESPN)
• Thursday, Jan. 16: The Rematch | Cavaliers at Thunder (7:30 ET, TNT/truTV/Max)

Triple Your All-Star Vote! It’s a “3-for-1 Day” for NBA All-Star Voting presented by AT&T, meaning your vote counts three times on the NBA App or NBA.com with your NBA ID. Tap to vote now.

1. HISTORY & HIGHLIGHTS: GARLAND GOES OFF, ANT THROWS DOWN

On Wednesday, in a historic showdown against the West-leading Thunder, Darius Garland delivered the dagger to notch the Cavs’ 11th straight win.

One night later, Garland called game again.

Cavaliers 132, Raptors 126: With Donovan Mitchell out, Garland dropped 40 points and nine assists, including a lead-extending 3 with 40 seconds left to boost Cleveland’s win streak to 12 while improving its record to an NBA-best 33-4. | Recap

• 2nd-Half Surge: Garland scored 25 points in the 2nd half on 9-of-12 shooting to help the Cavs rally from a 12-point 3rd-quarter deficit
• The Closer: In the clutch this season, Garland is shooting 19-of-29 (65.5%), the best FG% in the NBA among players with 20+ attempts
• Clutch Gene: He also ranks first in plus-minus (+62) and second in assist/turnover ratio (10:1) in clutch time
• “He carried us,” said Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson on Garland postgame. “He single-handedly took over this game.”
• Elite Company: Cleveland joins the 2015-16 Warriors as the only teams since 2000 to start a season 33-4 or better and is just the seventh team to do so in NBA history

While the Cavs joined rare air, Anthony Edwards took flight.

Wolves 104, Magic 89: Edwards went for 21 points, seven assists and one jaw-dropping jam as Minnesota pulled away from Orlando in a defensive duel for its third win in a row. | Recap

• Strength vs. Strength: It’s the Wolves’ fifth game this season holding their opponent to 90 points or less, trailing only the Magic (6) for the most in the NBA
• Soaring Scores: Edwards’ slam registered the ninth-highest Dunk Score of the season (103.5). Tap here to see the full list
• Nothin’ New: Ant has built a reputation of bringing the crowd to its feet when he leaves his feet — relive some of the most electrifying dunks of his five-year career

2. THURSDAY ROUNDUP: MARQUEE WEST WINS & HEAT PREVAIL

In a crucial matchup between the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the West, the Grizzlies got a big boost. But the Rockets got a big win.

Rockets 119, Grizzlies 115: After missing the last five games, Ja Morant returned and led Memphis with 27 points, but the Grizz had no answer for Alperen Sengun (32 pts, 14 reb) and Jalen Green (27 pts, 4 3s), as Houston maintained second place in the West. | Recap

• Houston Heating Up: It’s the Rockets’ third win in a row and their sixth straight road victory

Warriors 107, Pistons 104: Cade Cunningham was everywhere (32 pts, 6 reb, 8 ast, 3 stl), helping spark a 24-9 run to end the game. But it wasn’t enough to top the Warriors, who held on to snap Detroit’s five-game win streak. | Recap

• Golden Balance: Buddy Hield (19 pts, 5 3s) and Steph Curry (17 pts, 9 reb, 6 ast) led six Warriors in double figures

Mavericks 117, Blazers 111: With Dallas down 10 and 4:33 left, P.J. Washington and Dereck Lively II helped ignite an epic 18-2 run to close the game as the Mavs stormed past the Blazers for their second straight dub, despite being without Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving. | Recap

• Dallas Duo: Washington (23 pts, 14 reb) and Lively II (21 pts, 16 reb) combined for 20 points in the 4th quarter, as Dallas outscored Portland 36-22 in the final frame
• Hardy Gets Hot: Jaden Hardy added a season-high in points (25) and 3s (5) for Dallas

Suns 123, Hawks 115: Bradley Beal (25), Kevin Durant (23), Grayson Allen (23) and Devin Booker (20) combined for 91 points to overcome a 72-point 1st half from the Hawks, leading Phoenix to a timely win after a 1-5 stretch. | Recap

• D Book Dimes: Booker dished out 12 assists, marking his third straight game with 10+ helpers — the first such streak of his career

Heat 97, Jazz 92: Five days after Utah handed Miami its biggest loss of the season (136-100), the Heat got their revenge, outscoring the Jazz 29-22 in the 4th to pull out their second straight road dub. Tyler Herro led Miami with 23 points and five dimes. | Recap

3. TONIGHT: A THUNDER-KNICKS REMATCH ON NBA TV

Although its franchise-record 15-game win streak ended in Cleveland two nights ago, OKC’s road to Wednesday’s historic clash was forged through a valley of statement dubs.

Seven days ago, the Thunder took down the Knicks, 117-107, for their 14th straight victory, snapping New York’s nine-game win streak in the process.

It was only the fourth game in NBA history featuring two teams with win streaks of 9+ games. The fifth came on Wednesday in Cleveland — highlighting OKC’s gauntlet of elite competition.

• Since Dec. 29, OKC has played Memphis, New York, Boston and Cleveland — four of the top six teams in the league — along with West Play-In teams in the Wolves and Clippers
• In that stretch, the Thunder lost just once — on the road against the league’s top team, marking their first regular season loss since Dec. 1

On Friday, the gauntlet continues as OKC faces Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks again (7:30 ET, NBA TV).

Rewind: In last week’s meeting, New York entered the 4th quarter up eight, but OKC won the final frame 37-19 to pull away for the win.

• The Difference: Aaron Wiggins dropped 15 of his 19 points in the 4th with four 3s, as OKC went 6-of-8 from deep in the final quarter while holding New York to 1-of-9
• The Thunder also doubled the Knicks in rebounding in the 4th, 13-6
• “There were two or three scramble plays where they got the loose ball, and it converted into 3s,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau after the loss.“That was probably the biggest thing…
• “It was a hard-fought game, and in the end, it’s getting the loose balls and making effort plays.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC with a game-high 33 points and seven assists, crediting the Thunder’s resolve for earning one of their toughest wins of the season.

• “Very high-level team,” said SGA on the Knicks after the win. “They’re where they are in the league for a reason. They had the better of us most of the night, but we stuck with it…
• “Really good game, really good test for us, and we passed the test.”

Tonight, SGA and OKC will look to pass the test again, while the Knicks seek a signature win after snapping a three-game skid on Wednesday.

4. THE RETURN OF PAOLO & A PLAYOFF PUSH IN ORLANDO

In his first NBA season, Paolo Banchero was named Kia Rookie of the Year.

In his second NBA season, he earned an All-Star selection while leading the Magic to their first Playoff appearance since 2019-20.

Through one week of Year 3, the 22-year-old star was hinting at another leap, averaging 29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists in five games – including a career-high 50 points in a win over the Pacers on Oct. 28.

But two days later, everything changed.

• “I felt it when it happened,” said Banchero. “Didn’t know what it was but knew it didn’t feel good … was hoping it wasn’t too bad. But obviously, it was a little worse than I thought.”

The injury? A torn right oblique, sidelining the Magic star indefinitely – just as he was getting warmed up.

• “It sucks. There’s no other way to put it,” said Magic coach Jamahl Mosley days after the injury. “It sucks for him, the way in which he started this year, the way in which he was playing, the way he’s carrying us in so many ways…
• “But he is tough. He’s resilient, and this is another opportunity for him to grow in different ways.”

Since then, Banchero has observed from the bench, coaching up his teammates while working tirelessly toward a return.

• “The rehab he’s put in, the time he’s put in, the mental focus he’s had to have this entire time just to stay the course,” said Mosley on Banchero working towards a return. “Knowing that at some point, it was going to happen.”

It could happen tonight, as Banchero had a full practice yesterday and feels “really good” for Orlando’s game against the Bucks (7 ET, LP).

Banchero Boost: With injuries to Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, Banchero’s return provides the Magic with a much-needed scoring lift while keeping their defensive identity.

• Untapped Offense: Orlando averaged 112.2 ppg in Banchero’s five outings this season. In the 34 games without him, its average has dipped to 103.7 ppg – the lowest in the NBA
• Playmaking Catalyst: With Banchero in the lineup, the Magic ranked 17th in assists (25.6 apg). Without him, they rank 26th (23.5)
• Lockdown: The Magic’s top-scoring defense (103.2 ppg) should continue to be a force, as their current DefRtg (106.5) is nearly identical to before Banchero went down (106.9)

Despite their injuries, the Magic hold fourth place in the East. Now, they’ll look to climb even higher with Banchero leading the charge.

Seven more matchups tip off tonight on League Pass, including the Kings looking for their sixth straight win as they visit the defending champs, while the Pacers seek their fifth straight dub as they host the Warriors.

5. NBA ALL-STAR VOTING: THE SECOND FAN RETURNS & KEY DATES

Only 10 days remain for fans to vote for the 2025 All-Star starters on the NBA app or NBA.com using their NBA ID, and on Thursday, the second fan returns were unveiled.

At The Top: For the second straight week, Giannis Antetokounmpo (East frontcourt) and Nikola Jokić (West frontcourt) lead their respective conferences in votes, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (West guard) and LaMelo Ball (East guard) join them atop their respective position groups.

On The Rise: Steph Curry moved into second place among West guards, while Victor Wembanyama moved into fourth on the West frontcourt leaderboard and two Cavs, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland, climbed in the East.

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), and Friday marks a “3-for-1 Day” where fans’ votes count three times.

• Don’t miss out – tap here to cast your vote now

Up Next: The third fan returns will be released on Thursday, Jan. 16, before voting concludes on Jan. 20. TNT will reveal the All-Star Game starters on Jan. 23.

NBA All-Star 2025 takes place in the San Francisco Bay Area from Feb. 14-16. Below are a few key events to circle on your calendar.

• Friday, Feb. 14: Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game (7 ET, ESPN)
• Friday, Feb. 14: Castrol Rising Stars (9 ET, TNT/TruTV)
• Saturday, Feb. 15: State Farm All-Star Saturday Night: Kia Skills Challenge, Starry 3-Point Contest, AT&T Slam Dunk (8 ET, TNT/TruTV)
• Sunday, Feb. 16: 74th NBA All-Star Game (8 ET, TNT/TruTV)