The Los Angeles Clippers won thanks to a big triple-double from James Harden. After the game, Tyronn Lue had to jokes about Harden.
Among those to make the cut are first-timer Victor Wembanyama and 21st-timer LeBron James. Six teams had multiple selections, while only two teams above .500 — the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings — had none. The game is once again stacked with recognizable talent, but there were plenty more players beyond the 24 players selected.
The latest misfortune in the Mavericks' injury-riddled season occurred Thursday night when the All-Star reserves were announced by TNT. Kyrie Irving, who had the best chance of qualifying for the Western Conference team, was not selected as part of the 14 reserves.
Given that schedule, the Celtics also chose a cautious approach with several of their veterans. Jrue Holiday (shoulder), Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Al Horford (big toe) all were ruled out against the Clippers after being listed as questionable.
P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford had double-doubles, four of their Dallas teammates scored in double figures and the visiting Mavericks defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 137-136 on Wednesday night.
Two recent losses have brought a million-dollar question for the Oklahoma City Thunder — do they have a matchup problem against the Dallas Mavericks? The answer requires nuance after OKC wrapped its regular-season series against Dallas with a disheartening 1-3 record.
Entering Saturday's game against the Boston Celtics, Dallas has been without its superstar guard for the last 15 games. Dealing with a left calf strain, Doncic last played on Christmas when the Mavericks fell 105-99 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Boston’s starting five is finding cohesion, and its defense stifled Golden State. The Celtics’ ability to stay consistent will be tested against the Clippers, who sit fifth in the Western Conference standings and sport a 15-7 record at the Intuit Dome.
The Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets kick off an early slate of NBA games on Martin Luther King Day with a noon ET tip at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
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The Boston Celtics will face the Dallas Mavericks in this NBA matchup at the American Airlines Center on Saturday, January 25th. WATCH: Celtics vs Mavericks Liv
The reigning rookie of the year is an NBA All-Star for the first time, with the 21-year-old from France one of the 14 players announced Thursday night as members of the reserve pool for the midseason exhibition that will take place Feb. 16 at the home of the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco.