NBA Scores: Jayson Tatum makes historical past in All-Star Game victory

Face it: The NBA All-Star Game won’t ever be what it was once. No one who has obtained the respect of touring throughout the nation to participate in a weekend-long sequence of basketball-related actions whereas their teammates and friends are taking ATV excursions in Costa Rica is thinking about enjoying protection. The All-Star Game is about seeing who could make the deepest three, or who can embarrass whom with the wildest alley-oop to themselves, or maybe the most well-liked endeavor, who can rating probably the most factors.

Jayson Tatum answered the latter name after which some.

He cruised to the 2023 All-Star Game MVP with a contest-record 55 factors on 22-of-32 taking pictures, plus 10 rebounds and 6 assists to steer Team Giannis to a 184-175 victory. Tatum’s 27 factors within the sport’s third interval broke one other file on an evening the place he appeared unstoppable (what else is new… you already know, aside from the phantom protection).

The remainder of All-Star weekend belonged, naturally, to Mac McClung. If you’ve gotten but to see the dunks that gained him this 12 months’s Slam Dunk Contest, you’ll perceive why the web instantly grew to become a shrine to his artistry.

Now, provided that this wasn’t precisely a recap that lined a wide selection of video games, I figured I’d supply some ideas on a number of groups I feel make for probably the most fascinating squads to observe as we enter the ultimate portion of the common season. Some could also be on the play-in bubble, whereas others are squarely within the playoff race however can’t appear to vault their means into title rivalry. With that latter level in thoughts, the Cavs seem to be place to begin.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The NBA world appeared mildly shocked to see the Cavs stay dormant at this 12 months’s commerce deadline, particularly given how positive everybody appeared that they’d make a transfer to fill their “vacant” wing place. But Feb. 9 got here and went, and Saddiq Bey was shipped to Atlanta, OG Anunoby remained a Raptor, and Isaac Okoro stayed in Cleveland. A mix of Okoro, the newly-bought-out Danny Green, Caris LeVert, Dean Wade, and Cedi Osman isn’t precisely prolific. Any a kind of gamers is way extra prone to be ignored on the offensive finish than Donovan Mitchell or Darius Garland. That’s why so many individuals assumed Mike Gansey and Koby Altman would look to fill that gap: to take some stress off of their two offensively-burdened stars.

Despite standing pat on the deadline, Cleveland surged because the All-Star break approached, profitable eight of its closing 10 video games earlier than the break, together with a seven-game win streak earlier than falling to the Philadelphia 76ers within the closing sport earlier than the annual leaguewide pause. Now, it positive appears just like the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and 76ers will end because the Eastern Conference’s prime three squads, however the Cavs are simply two video games again from the third seed and 5 from Boston’s prime spot. At least one spherical of homecourt benefit isn’t out of the query for the Cavs ought to any of these groups stumble out of the break. Anything can occur when you’ve gotten a participant who can pull a 50-piece — or extra — out of his bag of tips on any given evening.

Los Angeles Clippers

Don’t look now, however the Clippers stay fourth within the West and only a few video games again from the second seed within the convention, regardless of season-long uncertainty about Kawhi Leonard and Paul George’s collective availability. The Clippers had been lively on the deadline, departing with Reggie Jackson, John Wall, and Luke Kennard whereas buying Eric Gordon, Bones Hyland, and Mason Plumlee through commerce. Ty Lue’s rotation now includes a mishmash of wings, positive, however Plumlee presents some Ivica Zubac safety, and Hyland ought to function a much-needed scoring punch on the guard place. Gordon hasn’t been blissful since 2011, so being again in L.A. ought to serve him properly.

Also, regardless of Kawhi’s intermittent load administration schedule, he’s been on a tear of late, serving as a extra current drive on a semi-nightly foundation. Since the beginning of 2023, he’s averaged 26.4 factors on 51 p.c taking pictures (45 p.c from three) together with 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and only a tick underneath two steals per sport. That’s MVP-level basketball; the Clippers are undoubtedly laborious to beat when he performs like that. How typically he can do it would outline their season.

Orlando Magic

Since beginning the season 5-20, the Magic are 19-15. It’s not an exemplary mark, by any means, but it surely’s a profitable file, which is one thing that not many iterations of the Orlando Magic can say they’ve managed at any level of a season for the higher a part of the final decade. Let’s say they proceed to stay afloat at this tempo for the rest of the common season. Who says they will’t be a play-in crew?

At the second, they’re simply 4 video games out of the tenth seed within the Eastern Conference, which is at the moment occupied by the less-than-inspiring Toronto Raptors. Standing of their technique to that spot are the Chicago Bulls — losers of six in a row previous to the break — and the Indiana Pacers — an odd concoction of a crew that may’t fairly contend, but is simply too gifted to tank.

The Magic discover themselves in an identical place, however they’ve been putzing concerning the backside of the East for a lot too lengthy and proceed to waste the youths of gifted younger contributors because of lottery journey after lottery journey. Why not let this budding core see how far it could actually push itself? A play-in exit is probably going, given their inconsistencies, however you possibly can’t inform me this Orlando crew — led by Rookie of the Year shoo-in Paolo Banchero, a rejuvenated Markelle Fultz, and the mild-yet-exciting Franz Wagner, amongst others — can’t feasibly take down both the Atlanta Hawks or Washington Wizards. It’s definitely not far-fetched to me.