Starting 5 Daily Newsletter

Starting 5, Nov. 10: An 11-0 start for just the 12th time in NBA history

Cleveland extends its unbeaten streak, Victor Wembanyama rewrites another record and a busy Sunday slate featuring 11 games.

Starting 5

7-foot-3. Playing like he’s 6-3. And making history — again.

THE LINEUP 🏀

Nov. 10, 2024 | What’s inside today’s edition?

Unbeaten & Unprecedented: The Cavs stay perfect, while Wemby rewrites another record

Four The Win: A fourth straight Clips’ dub and a 4th-quarter rally capped Saturday’s slate

Western Duels: Three heavyweight bouts out West tip off tonight on League Pass

East Showdowns: Two former champs clash before a historic rivalry renews

Cup Countdown: A preview of East Group C, including the top two teams in the conference

BUT FIRST … ⏰

A mouth-watering Sunday slate…

Eleven games tip off Sunday all on NBA League Pass. The slate boasts a slew of marquee matchups, including a Knicks vs. Pacers showdown (5 ET), before the 7-2 Warriors take on the 8-1 Thunder (7 ET). Then, Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets will host Luka Dončić and the Mavs in primetime (8 ET).

1. LATE DRAMA, EARLY SEASON HISTORY

Down 96-89 with 4:24 remaining on the second leg of a back-to-back, the Cavaliers needed a spark to keep their perfect record alive, and their two rising stars delivered.

Cavaliers 105, Nets 100: After trailing by as many as 13 points in the 4th quarter, Evan Mobley (23 pts, 16 reb, 4 stl) and Darius Garland (20 pts, 6 ast) ignited a 16-4 Cavs run to close the game, as Cleveland rallied past Cameron Johnson (23 pts, 5 reb, 4 3s) and the Nets to extend its franchise-best start to 11-0. | Recap

  • Resilient Rally: After scoring just 13 points in the 3rd quarter, the Cavs entered the 4th down 82-70 but outscored Brooklyn 35-18 in the final frame to get the win
  • Takeover Time: Garland sparked the run with a driving layup and scored eight of the Cavs’ final 16 points, including a pair of go-ahead free throws followed by the dime below to Mobley, who punctuated the win with a big swat before the buzzer

  • Star Scorers: Garland, Mobley and Donovan Mitchell (22 pts, 4 3s) combined for 65 points, while Dennis Schröder and Cam Thomas added 22 points apiece for Brooklyn
  • Garland: “We fought. We fought for 48 minutes … That was a big win.”
  • Championship Company: The Cavs are just the 12th team in NBA history to start a season 11-0. Of those 11 previous teams, six made the NBA Finals, and three won it all

On Halloween night against the Jazz, Victor Wembanyama (25 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast, 5 stl, 5 blk) recorded his second career 5×5 game, joining Hakeem Olajuwon (6) and Andrei Kirilenko (3) as the only players with multiple career 5×5 games in NBA history, while leading San Antonio to a win.

On Saturday night against the Jazz, Wemby posted another historic stat line. But this time, Utah walked away with the dub.

Jazz 111, Spurs 110: In a game featuring 15 ties and 16 lead changes, Wembanyama (24 pts, 16 reb, 7 blk, career-high 6 3s) and rookie Stephon Castle (career-high 23 pts) helped San Antonio rally from nine points down in the 3rd quarter, but Collin Sexton (23 pts, 4 reb, 2 stl) and the Jazz prevailed in a frantic finish to improve to 2-7. | Recap | Watch The Dramatic Ending

  • Clutch Jazz Club: Lauri Markkanen added 20 points and Jordan Clarkson (16 pts) scored 11 in the 4th quarter, including two free throws with 8.9 seconds left to put Utah up 109-104, sealing their second win in three games
  • Wemby Makes History: Despite the loss, Wemby became the first player in NBA history to record multiple games of 20+ points, 15+ rebounds, 5+ blocks and 5+ 3s, with his first coming on April 7, 2024
  • Block Party: He also became the youngest player in NBA history to notch 10 career games with 7+ blocks at 20 years and 310 days old, breaking Shaquille O’Neal’s previous record set in 1994 (21 years, 325 days old)

2. ROUNDUP: SURGING CLIPS & A CHICAGO COMEBACK

Clippers 105, Raptors 103: In another nail-biter, James Harden (24 pts, 12 reb, 7 ast) and the Clips let a 12-point lead slip away in the 4th quarter as Immanuel Quickley splashed a 3 to tie the game at 102 with 39 seconds left. But LA added three straight points from the line to survive for its fourth straight win, improving its record to 6-4. | Recap

  • Harden’s Hot Start: Harden is the first player in Clippers franchise history to total 200+ points, 80+ rebounds and 80+ assists in the first 10 games of the season
  • Clip Contributions: Norman Powell joined Harden with 24 points, while Ivica Zubac (14 pts, 12 reb) tallied his sixth double-double of the season
  • Toronto Leaders: Quickley and Ochai Agbaji led the Raptors with 21 points apiece, and Toronto fell to 2-8 with the loss

Bulls 125, Hawks 113: Trae Young (14 pts, season-high 16 ast) and Jalen Johnson (20 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast) were clicking as the Hawks built an 18-point lead in the 1st half, but Ayo Dosunmu (19 pts, 4 ast) and the Bulls stormed back and outscored Atlanta 35-15 in the 4th quarter to snap their four-game skid. | Recap

  • Bulls Balance: Chicago got 18 points apiece from Zach LaVine (7 ast), Nikola Vučević (12 reb) and Coby White (5 ast, 3 stl), and went on a 16-3 run to take its first lead of the game with 7:03 left before pulling away
  • Swipe Specialist: After recording seven steals in Friday’s loss to the Pistons, Dyson Daniels (16 pts, 8 rebs, 6 stl) joined Mookie Blaylock (4x) as the only players in Hawks franchise history to record 13+ total steals over two games

3. WEST DUELS: TOP TEAMS COLLIDE ON LEAGUE PASS

Saturday’s 11 games on League Pass boast three heavyweight matchups out West featuring four of the top five teams in the conference.

Warriors at Thunder (7 ET, LP): After seeing their five-game win streak snapped in a loss to the unbeaten Cavs on Friday, Steph Curry and the 7-2 Warriors have another tough test against the 8-1 Thunder.

  • Depth Perception: The matchup features two of the deepest teams in the NBA, as Golden State (9.3) and OKC (8.7) lead the NBA in bench net rating
  • Extra Hoops Loading? The Thunder have won three straight games against the Warriors, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaging 34.0 ppg and 6.0 apg. But the last two meetings between the two sides have gone to overtime

Mavericks at Nuggets (8 ET, LP): In a matchup featuring two 2023-24 Kia All-NBA First Team members, Luka Dončić and the 5-4 Mavs will visit Nikola Jokić and the 6-3 Nuggets, who are seeking their fifth straight win.

  • The Joker’s Streak: In Friday’s win over the Heat, Jokić (30 pts, 11 reb, 14 ast, 11-13 FG) notched his third straight triple-double and his fifth in nine games this season
  • A Class Of His Own: It was his third career game recording a 30+ point triple-double on over 80% shooting, while every other NBA player in the last 40 years has combined for a total of three such games
  • Jokić 🤝 Luka: Jokić leads the NBA in rebounds (13.2), ranks second in assists (11.3), fifth in points (28.9) and joins Dončić (28.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 8.0 apg) as the only players to lead their team in all three categories

Kings at Suns (8 ET, LP): Riding a seven-game win streak, will the Suns improve to 9-1 for the first time since 1980-81, or will De’Aaron Fox and the Kings cool them off?

  • Phoenix Fire: The Suns’ 8-1 record matches their best start through the first nine games of a season in franchise history, and they’re 5-0 at home
  • KD Update: However, their leading scorer, Kevin Durant (27.6 ppg), is expected to miss the next two weeks with a left calf strain
  • Fox Fuel: Coming off a 31-point performance in a loss to the Clippers on Friday, Fox is one of five players to score 20+ points in five straight games this month along with SGA, Jokić, Anthony Edwards and Jayson Tatum

4. EAST SHOWDOWNS: FORMER CHAMPS CLASH, RIVALS REUNITE

League Pass also boasts a pair of marquee matchups in the East, as the reigning champs lock horns with the Bucks before a classic rivalry bout.

Celtics at Bucks (3:30 ET, LP): Last year, Milwaukee was one of just four teams to beat Boston twice in the regular season. But the C’s took their first meeting this year, 119-108, in October. Who will win Round 2?

  • Big Boston Dubs: The victory marked one of Boston’s six wins decided by 10+ points this season, which trails only OKC (eight) for the most in the NBA
  • Star Production: Jayson Tatum (30.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 4.9 apg) has scored 25+ points in an NBA-leading nine games this season and is one of two players averaging 30+ points, 7+ boards and 4+ assists
  • The other? Giannis Antetokounmpo (30.1 ppg, 12.8 rpg, 5.3 apg), who ranks right behind Tatum (No. 2) as the league’s third-leading scorer

Knicks at Pacers (5 ET, LP): In Game 7 of the 2024 East Semifinals, the Pacers ended the Knicks season at Madison Square Garden, adding a new chapter to a historic NBA rivalry. On Oct. 25, New York took the first leg of this year’s season series. Will the Knicks notch another win tonight, or will the Pacers bounce back?

  • Starting Off Right: In the Knicks’ 123-98 victory in October at MSG, New York’s starters outscored Indiana’s starters 102-31, for a +71 point differential
  • Home Sweet Home? Now coming off a 103-82 loss at Charlotte on Friday — marking their lowest points total since 2022 — the Pacers will look to respond at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where they average 122.3 ppg, tied for the second-highest home total in the NBA

Six more matchups tip off on League Pass throughout the day, beginning with Cade Cunningham — who’s notched three straight triple-doubles — and the Pistons hosting the Rockets (3 ET) and ending with a Lakers-Raptors showdown in Los Angeles (9:30 ET).

5. EMIRATES NBA CUP COUNTDOWN: EAST GROUP C PREVIEW

The Emirates NBA Cup 2024 tips off in just two days, with Group Play opening on Tuesday.

Our countdown previewing every group in the competition began with Groups A and B in the East and West and continues today with East Group C, which includes the reigning NBA champion Celtics and the 11-0 Cavaliers.

Below are the five teams in the group, ranked in order of win percentage in head-to-head matchups from last season against the other teams within the group.

  • Boston Celtics: 11-3 (.786)
  • Cleveland Cavaliers: 11-4 (.733)
  • Atlanta Hawks: 7-8 (.467)
  • Chicago Bulls: 5-8 (.385)
  • Washington Wizards: 2-13 (.133)

The full 10-game Group Play schedule is above, with three matchups to circle below:

Hawks at Celtics (Nov. 12, 7 ET, LP): Group Play opens with the reigning champs hosting the Hawks – who joined the Bucks as one of four teams to beat Boston twice last season during its 64-win campaign. The C’s took their first meeting this year, 123-93, while holding Trae Young to a career-low two points. How will Trae and the Hawks respond on Tuesday?

Cavaliers at Celtics (Nov. 19, 7 ET, TNT): A rematch of the 2024 East Semifinals, which the Celtics won in five games. Cleveland was without Jarrett Allen (ribs) for the series and without Donovan Mitchell (calf) for the final two games. Now, leading the league with an 11-0 record, can a fully healthy Cavs squad get past Boston in Group Play?

Cavaliers at Hawks (Nov. 29, 2:30 ET, NBA TV): Thanksgiving leftovers and matinee hoops with a clash of All-Star guards in Young and Mitchell make for a fantastic Friday afternoon as the Hawks host the Cavs in Atlanta.

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