So, who got snubbed?

That’s always the question to pose once NBA All-Stars – and each conference’s starters – are announced.

On Monday, Jan. 19, the NBA unveiled the East and West starters for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, which will take place Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The league used a weighted system to select starters, with the fan vote accounting for 50%, and NBA players and media accounting for 25%, respectively. Each player then generated a weighted score, and the Top 5 players from each conference, regardless of position, were named starters.

Here are the winners and losers from the selection of starters for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game:

WHO MADE THE CUT: NBA announces 2026 All-Star Game starters

WINNERS

Jaylen Brown

Though he is a five-time All-Star, Brown had always been overshadowed by fellow Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum. Not this year. With Tatum sidelined with a torn Achilles, Brown has not only emerged as a legitimate No. 1 option and a first-time All-Star starter, but he has also put himself squarely in the conversation for Most Valuable Player. That Brown is also doing this after Boston moved on from established stars Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis further illustrates his rise. He’s averaging 29.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists this season.

Jalen Brunson

There’s no question Brunson is one of the elite players in the NBA and one of the steadiest closers. And though Brunson cleared the threshold with ease — his weighted score of 3.25 ranked fourth among East players and was 2.75 points greater than Donovan Mitchell, the No. 6 player on the list — he probably got a boost that New York players often get. The Knicks are a blue-chip franchise with a gargantuan following, so their stars tend to get elevated. Make no mistake: Brunson is a deserving All-Star. But with a roster of talented guards in the East, his case to start was thinner than the end result indicated.

Victor Wembanyama

There’s no denying the impact Wembanyama has on the floor, but the San Antonio Spurs are actually 10-4 in games he didn’t play. That record, though, shouldn’t be skewed; he’s certainly worthy of the starter nod, but he got by on the slimmest of margins, on a fan vote tiebreaker (more on that later). Wembanyama just turned 22 on Jan. 4 and is making his second All-Star appearance. He’s only getting better and is in the MVP conversation. His days of starting in All-Stars are only beginning.

Tyrese Maxey

Another first-time starter, Maxey’s rise this season shows how he’s assuming control of the Philadelphia 76ers franchise. Although Joel Embiid, the 2022-23 Most Valuable Player, is slowly returning to form, this is Maxey’s team, and he’s quickly becoming one of the elite scoring guards in the NBA – one with seemingly limitless shooting range.

LOSERS

LeBron James

Chances are, James will still be an All-Star and will extend his record streak to 22 consecutive nominations. But for the first time in 21 years, James was not named a starter in the All-Star Game. James missed the first 14 games of the season with a right sciatica issue, and the Los Angeles Lakers have managed his playing time in back-to-backs since then. James, who turned 41 in late December, is reimagining the standard for players his age. His points (22.6 per game) and rebounds (5.9) are the lowest they have been since his rookie season (20.9 and 5.5), but James remains a threat for the Lakers. Still, all good things come to an end.

LEBRON JAMES: Incredible streak snapped as NBA All-Star starters revealed

Anthony Edwards

This is the biggest snub of the day. Edwards’ 29.6 points per game rank fifth in the NBA. He’s a dynamic, three-level scorer and is one of the premier walking highlights this league has. His biggest problem here is that the person who took his spot, Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama, is exactly the same. Edwards and Wembanyama received the same weighted score of 5.75, which triggered a tiebreaker. Edwards lost that because his fan vote (1,960,957) was just 4,505 votes fewer than Wembanyama’s total. Stats don’t paint the entire picture because Wembanyama’s impact as a defender is immense, but, just for comparison’s sake, he’s averaging 24.5 points per game.

Donovan Mitchell

He was the first out in the field for starters in the East and very easily could’ve made a case to start. Entering Monday, Mitchell ranked seventh in the NBA in scoring, dropping 29.2 points per game. Even then, the margin between him and Jaylen Brown, the fourth player on the list, was just 0.5 points per game. His scoring clip is a career high, and his assists numbers (5.7) are just behind his all-time high of 6.1. The Cavaliers, though, started slowly, which almost certainly impacted his voting numbers.

Jalen Johnson

Will Johnson be an All-Star? Almost certainly yes. Did he deserve to start? Perhaps. Johnson is the victim of playing in a smaller market, for a team that has struggled to reach relevance in recent seasons. The Hawks are 20-24 (10th in the East), but Johnson is averaging nearly a triple-double, putting up 22.8 points, 10.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game. Johnson is more of an all-around player than Jalen Brunson, though Johnson’s defensive intensity has fallen off in recent seasons.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA All-Star 2026: Winners and losers as starters announced for game

Princeton, N.J. (AP) — Madison St. Rose and Ashley Chea each scored 19 points and No. 20 Princeton beat Harvard 82-79 in overtime on Monday for its 14th consecutive victory.

Princeton (16-1, 4-0 Ivy League) moved up to No. 20 this week in the AP poll, the team’s best ranking since the Tigers were 13th in the final poll of 2015. The lone defeat on the season came against then-No.9 Maryland on Nov. 16.

Princeton scored eight of the opening 10 points of the fourth quarter, with six points from Toby Nweke, to take a 57-50 lead.

But Harvard made back-to-back 3-pointers in the final minute of regulation, the last with 4.9 seconds left to take a 64-61 lead. Chea answered with a 3-pointer from the corner with 0.4 seconds left to tie it. The Crimson turned it over to send it to overtime.

Princeston scored the first five points of overtime to make it 69-64.

Olivia Hutcherson added 14 points, Skye Belker scored 13 and Fadima Tall had 11 points, nine rebounds and five steals for Princeton.

Karlee White scored 27 points to go with 10 rebounds for Harvard (9-8, 2-2). Saniyah Glenn-Bello added 16 points.

Last season, Chea received an inbounds pass with 3.2 seconds left in the fourth quarter and sank a long jumper just before the buzzer to give Princeton a 52-50 victory over Harvard on Jan. 11.

Up next

Harvard: Plays at Cornell on Saturday.

Princeton: Goes on the road to face Brown on Saturday.

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NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA will resume having referees wear headsets with earpieces and microphones Tuesday, with the test scheduled to continue through games of Feb. 12 before the league breaks for All-Star weekend.

From Nov. 1 through Dec. 12, referees had the headsets clipped onto their uniforms — then used it during instant replay reviews and other stoppages, but not actually during live play.

In this phase, referees will wear the earpieces throughout the game, including during live play, and be able to communicate directly with the replay center and each other at all times.

The league told teams on Monday that the first phase enhanced officiating accuracy and improved game flow. The league also is hoping the new headsets — also used by referees in the NFL, with FIFA, the top soccer leagues in England and Germany, and Major League Soccer as well — have improved technology, after audio quality and the ability to communicate with other referees without disruption was an issue in some cases during the first phase of the project.

The NBA has been testing the technology since 2022 at various events, including the G League Winter Showcase, NBA Summer League and NBA preseason games.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.

The Spurs are participating in a Martin Luther King Day game today against the Utah Jazz for an unusual Monday afternoon game. The Jazz are missing Lauri Markkanen and several other rotation players. The Spurs roster will be missing Devin Vassell, who has been out for a while with an adductor strain, but the hope is that he will return soon. Tonight’s game is the last of a three game home stand, and they could win all three with a victor tonight. The Spurs face the Rockets tomorrow night in Houston, and if the Spurs can put the Jazz away early today, it would be advantageous for the Spurs as they look to stay solidly in second place in the Western Conference stay among the top teams in the league.

The Spurs have struggled with putting teams away lately, blowing big leads on several occasions and barely holding on for a win against the Timberwolves on Saturday after taking a 25 point lead at the half. The next step in the Spurs evolution would be developing a killer instinct, and the Jazz game would be a good place to start, especially since Utah beat the Silver and Black 127-114 on December 27. Let’s GO SPURS!!

Game Prediction:

After the game, the Jazz offer to return their team name to New Orleans, and will adopt a name more appropriate to Salt Lake City. Suggestions in comments.

San Antonio Spurs vs Utah Jazz
January 19, 2026 | 4:00 PM CT
Streaming: NBA League Pass
TV: FanDuel Sports Southwest
Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Knicks (25*-17) return to Madison Square Garden looking to snap a three-game skid against a struggling Dallas Mavericks team (17-26). The Knicks edged the Mavs 113-111 in Dallas last November. Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart have been cleared to play, while hotshot rookie Cooper Flagg is listed as a game-time decision as of this writing.

Tip off is 5:00 p.m. EST on NBA/Peacock (and MSG). This is your game thread. This is Mavs Moneyball. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Embody kindness, gentle humans. And go Knicks!

* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count. 

Observations after Maxey nabs career-high 8 steals in Sixers' win over Pacers  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers worked through some shaky patches and handled business Monday night against the Pacers.

They notched a 113-104 win at Xfinity Mobile Arena to improve to 23-18 on the season. Indiana fell to 10-34. 

Newly minted All-Star starter Tyrese Maxey had 29 points, eight assists and a whopping eight steals, setting a new career high.

Joel Embiid posted 30 points and nine rebounds. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 18 points.

Pacers star Pascal Siakam tallied 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Andrew Nembhard scored 25 points.

Paul George (left knee injury management) sat for the Sixers on the first night of a back-to-back. The team will host the Suns on Tuesday.

Here are observations on the Sixers’ victory over the Pacers:

Turnovers fuel Sixers again 

Oubre slotted into the Sixers’ starting lineup for George. He began brightly, scoring the night’s first four points on a couple of driving layups.

Embiid soon settled into an excellent mid-range rhythm and started 5 for 5 from the floor. He drained a Dirk Nowitzki-style one-legged fadeaway over Nembhard and then hit a face-up jumper on Jay Huff. 

Dominick Barlow brought his usual hustle in his first stint, including two offensive rebounds and two steals. A coast-to-coast Barlow layup put the Sixers up 22-19. 

Maxey also picked two steals in the first quarter. As was the case in their loss Wednesday to the Cavs, much of the Sixers’ early success stemmed from forced turnovers. They scored the game’s first 13 points off turnovers and the first 13 fast-break points. 

Woes without the stars

The Sixers’ half-court offense was rough early in the second quarter without Maxey and Embiid.

Head coach Nick Nurse turned to a bench-heavy lineup with no conventional point guard. The Sixers did not outperform that on-paper description.

Trendon Watford missed two free throws and three close-range shots in his opening stint. Quentin Grimes got little reward for his aggression, going 1 for 5 from the floor in the first half. VJ Edgecombe was largely a spectator. The rookie only took four field goals in 20 first-half minutes and was scoreless until he made a free throw with 1:55 left in the second quarter. 

The offensive struggles continued once the Sixers’ stars re-entered. The team remained cold beyond the arc (2 for 10 from three-point range in the first half) and the Pacers’ bench played very well. Former Sixers center Tony Bradley gave Indiana good minutes and helped the Pacers build a lead as high as 10 points in the second quarter. 

Maxey at ball-hunting best

The Sixers’ starters regained the lead in the third quarter. Edgecombe laid in his own miss to lift his team to a 63-62 edge.

Edgecombe was far more involved in the Sixers’ offense in the third quarter, often bringing the ball up, running two-man actions with Embiid, and finding opportunities to drive downhill. The highlight of the third period came when he jammed in a giant one-handed, and-one dunk on Bradley. 

The Sixers still did not dramatically improve their shooting night. The team was subpar from both three-point range (29.4 percent) and at the foul line (66.7 percent).

Siakam’s corner three gave the Pacers an 88-86 lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Sixers replied with a 7-0 run capped by Maxey swiping a steal, surging ahead and ultimately knocking down two free throws.

The Pacers’ sloppiness was a problem throughout the game — the final points off turnovers margin was 28-7 — and Maxey was at his ball-hunting best. On top of the possession, his steals tend to carry extra weight because of the strong odds that he profits in transition. There’s sometimes a fine line between sniffing out steals and playing sound defense, but Maxey is generally the kind of player who should have the green light and he’s made great progress defensively overall the last several years.

Led by Maxey and Embiid, the Sixers pulled away and avoided any tension in the final minutes. They’ll look for a 2-0 start to their week Tuesday night vs. the Suns.

I’m going to be so real here — I hate the NBA trade deadline! It’s weeks of baseless rumours, being on edge, waiting for the shoe to drop… even though it might never drop. It has me on edge every year, and I sit here every February just counting down the seconds until it’s over. It doesn’t help that we are sitting here talking about a team that is super wishy-washy about the trade deadline historically.

In the Masai-Era of Raptors basketball, the trade deadline was used as a levelling-up tool, something to make “right now” moves. Even if the moves at the deadline were more “for the future” moves, the “future” we were discussing was likely the immediate season after. Even the Raptors’ busiest deadline in recent history, in 23-24, when OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam were dealt, it was more to usher in a new era.

Masai was pretty outspoken about the fact that he didn’t like to deal at the deadline unless necessary. He preferred to wait until free agency, when no one was rushing him, and he could see who was available before making any decisions. Yet, with Masai gone and the Raptors in a new era, things might be different.

Don’t expect them to be too different, though. Bobby Webster went to the Masai Ujiri School of How to Operate an NBA team, and his tactics are likely similar to those of his predecessor and mentor. I wouldn’t expect Bobby to do much at the trade deadline, but here is what could happen if he does decide to pull the trigger on some deals.

Trading for a Big Man

The Raptors clearly have a Jakob Poeltl problem. Even since I wrote that linked piece in December, it’s gotten worse. Poeltl has been out for weeks trying to figure out why his back won’t get better, seeing if time makes it heal. So far, it doesn’t seem like much is working.

It seems like the Raptors’ biggest priority at the deadline may be trading for another 7-footer. We’ve known this. Yet, it’s hard to know if they are going to be willing to pay the price for what is available. Jake Fischer wrote on Jan. 15 that the Raptors want to “make an addition,” but with Davis’s new injury, what’s the point of adding ANOTHER injured big man to the mix?

Sabonis may be an option as well, but he’s only played 13 games so far this season due to (you guessed it) an injury.

It may be a matter of having no deal to make, not that the Raptors decide themselves not to do anything here.

A Change at the PG Position

There’s also chatter of replacing Immanuel Quickley with another starting point guard at the trade deadline. Quickley has been hot and cold all season long, especially struggling since his primary pick-and-roll buddy, Poeltl, has been out. He’s played more games this season after an injury-riddled year last season, but he’s looked disjointed and isn’t shooting well. His biggest problem may be consistency — when he’s good, he’s GOOD — but those instances are becoming few and far between.

This is why Toronto seemed to be in the mix for Trae Young. Yet, Young seemed to want a guarantee that he was going to receive a contract extension from whichever team he signed with, and Bobby likely wasn’t down. Thankful for that, though. Young doesn’t play good defense and it was a no from me.

Ja Morant is floating around conversations now, as apparently, his time in Memphis is dwindling. Maybe I know too much about these guys, but I’m not into the idea of Morant here. Sure, he has some history with Darko Rajakovic, but he hasn’t really impressed over the past few seasons, between injuries and off-court behaviour violations leading to lengthy suspensions. I heard someone say “the best trait a player can bring is availability” recently, and that’s kinda my vibe here.

SO, do the Raptors do anything at the deadline? My gut says no, but my brain says maybe.

The Dallas Mavericks (16-26) head back out on the road after a four-game homestand. They face the New York Knicks (25-17) on a Martin Luther King Jr. day game showcase on Peacock and NBC. Dallas has won two in a row after playing the shamelessly tanking Utah Jazz. The Knicks are looking to stop a three-game slide, most recently falling to the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night

Heres the main things you need to know before tipoff.

• WHO: Dallas Mavericks at New York Knicks
• WHAT: Primetime MLK Day basketball
• WHERE: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
• WHEN: 4:00 pm CST
• HOW: Peacock, NBC, KFAA, MavsTV

The injury report for Dallas is absurd. Cooper Flagg is questionable still as of this writing. I hope he plays or this one is gonna be ugly. The Mavericks are without the following players for various legitmate reasons: Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Dereck Lively, Dante Exum, Daniel Gafford, D’Angelo Russell, and PJ Washington. That’s a big list. The Knicks are playing everyone, including the recently injured Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.

The Mavericks have their work cut out for them in this one. The Knicks play hard and have a variety of talented players. If Flagg does miss this one, I don’t see them having much of a chance. If Flagg does play, him exerting his will along with getting Klay Thompson going is the surest path to victory. Dallas simply isn’t big enough now and I worry the rebounding problems Dallas has every few games will rear it’s ugly head against a Knicks team that can crash well from every position. Stein seems to think Flagg is playing, but who knows.

Consider joining Josh and me on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube, we should start LATE. Thanks so much for spending time with us here at Mavs Moneyball. Let’s go Mavs!