One thing has been true of Darius Garland over the course of his career ... And when it comes to magic numbers – usually for a point guard – the statistical gold standard is “50-40-90 ...

With an awesome team already and nearly all their own assets available to upgrade it, the Orlando Magic are ready to win now.

Darius Garland on Donovan Mitchell: To be completely honest, bro, I’mma really say this summer is when we really, really got locked in on what we wanted to do and what we wanted to accomplish.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Julius Randle had 23 points and 10 rebounds, Anthony Edwards added 21 points and seven assists and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Orlando Magic 104-89 on Thursday night for their third straight victory. Naz Reid came off the bench to score 16 points, and Rudy Gobert added 10 points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota.

The Cavs are rolling thanks in large part to Garland's play, but the East — and Cleveland's — backcourt is a crowded one.

The Cavs lead the standings with a 33-4 record, six games clear of reigning champions the Boston Celtics. Read more at straitstimes.com.

The Raptors experimented with a center-less lineup in the second quarter, using Scottie Barnes as their de facto big man. It’s a look Toronto has rarely deployed this season, but given Kelly Olynyk’s struggles this year, it’s a wrinkle the Raptors might want to explore more often.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP ... CAVALIERS 132, RAPTORS 126 CLEVELAND (AP) — Darius Garland scored a season-high 40 points, Jarrett Allen had 18 points and 15 rebounds, and NBA-leading Cleveland ...

The Knicks and Nuggets are surging, while the Warriors watch their window close. Meanwhile, the Cavs and Thunder have their business on lock.

While the NBA and its fans are focused on the upcoming trade deadline, the games keep coming — and the best keep separating themselves from the rest. 1. Oklahoma City Thunder (35-7, Last Week No. 2).

Atkinson took over essentially the same roster as a season ago and has turned it into an East-leading contender.

With that said, here is the 11th edition of the NBA Power Rankings: Previous ranking: 30 The Wizards are squarely in the driver's seat for the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes. They rank dead last in the league in both offensive rating and defensive rating and Washington's focus for 2024-25 should be on moving the veterans and developing the youngsters.