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Unlike last year, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell will not be a 2026 NBA All-Star starter in Los Angeles. The league announced the starting fives for both the Eastern Conference and Western Conference on Monday afternoon, with the six-timer and two-time starter as a notable omission. Focused on facing the Oklahoma City Thunder at Rocket Arena, Mitchell preferred not to find out the news before the matchup. “I didn’t know what had happened, but you can assume ’cause no one said anything,” Mitchell said postgame following the Cavs’ blowout loss on Monday. “Typically, they’d say something during the game, so once [I didn’t hear that], I was like, ‘Alright, it is what it is.’ To be honest, I kind of expected that. The guys that were named, their record is better than ours, so naturally, you reward that.” The East announced three first-time starters, as Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, and Cade Cunningham joined Jalen Brunson and Giannis Antetokounmpo to represent the conference. “I want to be a starter for sure,” Mitchell said. “But understand that, at the end of the day, [if] we win games, everybody gets rewarded. We haven’t won games necessarily at the rate we would like to, and that’s what comes first. Everything else comes with that.” The West welcomes Victor Wembanyama to the first-timers club, alongside veterans in Steph Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, and Nikola Jokic. Mitchell started in the All-Star Game in two of the previous three seasons, but will ultimately come off the bench in this year’s game. He’s having an unbelievable campaign individually, averaging 29.0 points, 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 34 minutes per game. It’s been the most efficient shooting season of his career, knocking down 48.5% of his field goals and 38.4% of his three-point attempts. And though the 24-20 Cavs haven’t quite been their best in the first half of the 82-game marathon, Mitchell has only uplifted his teammates and stepped up his game when they’ve needed it the most. The post Why Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell ‘expected’ NBA All-Star starter snub appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The state of Indiana has to be buzzing after Indiana football broke through with the natty, taking a 27-21 win over Miami in the CFP national championship game on MLK Day. Fernando Mendoza, the potential first overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, took his team to the promised land, and Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, who acts as an incredible quarterback in his own right, could not have been more thrilled to see the hometown team reach the apex of college football. After Indiana sealed the victory with a field goal with a little over a minute left, doing just enough to keep Miami at bay after a late Malachi Toney touchdown made the Hoosiers sweat, the Pacers star published a heartfelt message as he continued to embrace the state of Indiana as his own (he hails from Oshkosh, Wisconsin). “A state has never deserved something more. Congrats @IndianaFootball ,” Haliburton wrote on his official account on X (formerly Twitter). Haliburton knows more than nearly everybody just how much sporting success means to the people of Indiana. The Pacers received bonkers support in their run to the NBA Finals in 2025, and Indiana football’s breakthrough has to be very cathartic for a fanbase that’s come so close yet so far in terms of winning a championship. Can Pacers follow in Indiana football’s footsteps? Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images The Hoosiers have undergone such a quick turnaround under Curt Cignetti, posting two consecutive seasons of incredible football that saw them qualify for the CFP. In 2024, they lost in the first round of the CFP, but this year, they broke through with an undefeated season and the natty to cap everything off. As for the Pacers, they might be the league’s sleeping giant. Most of the core of their 2025 NBA Finals roster is injured, including Haliburton, and a few roster tweaks here and there, along with a high lottery pick in 2026, should put them well in shape for a major bounce-back season during the 2026-27 campaign. The post Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton delivers touching message after Indiana football’s National Championship win appeared first on ClutchPoints.

In his first game after being selected as a starter for the NBA All-Star game for the first time in his young career, Victor Wembanyama put up 33 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks, and two steals in less than 27 minutes in a 123-110 San Antonio Spurs victory over the Utah Jazz. Not long after Wemby learned of his start, news trickled out that the 22-year-old phenom had narrowly slipped by Anthony Edwards for the final spot among Western Conference players. The Minnesota Timberwolves superstar received more votes from players than Wembanyama, who garnered more votes from the media than Edwards. That meant the fan vote proved the tie-breaker, where Wembanyama edged out “Ant” by 4,505 votes. With that information public, the Spurs’ leading scorer went to work early vs. the Jazz, hitting three 3-pointers in the first six minutes of the game, five in the first half, and seven for the day. He finished the first 24 minutes of the contest with 21 points and seven rebounds for most of his damage in what turned out to be San Antonio’s third straight win. ClutchPoints asked the generational talent if – similar to how some players put up big games after All-Star ‘snubs’ – he posted his impressive numbers because of his first NBA All-Star starting nod, especially considering the specifics of the vote. “No, not at all. No, no, no,” Wembanyama declared. “I’ve got many more responsibilities with my team, you know. So, I was not thinking about that at all. "I've got many more responsibilities with my team…Not thinking about that at all" -Asked Vic about – similar to how players have big games after All-Star 'snubs' – he put up 33, 10 & 2 in response to his 1st #NBAAllStar starting nod. Esp considering closeness of vote#Spurs pic.twitter.com/aDOWRC4DC1 — Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) January 20, 2026 Victor Wembanyama reacts to first NBA All-Star starting nod If All-Star-related motivation wasn’t the driving force behind Wembanyama’s big night, perhaps circumstances were. Though he averages less than five 3-point attempts per game this season, the 7-foot-5 big man took 12, nine in the first half, against Utah. “It is a game-by-game thing,” Wemby said of the volume at which he shoots beyond the arc. “But also, I keep seeing trends over the season, like periods of time where teams will guard a different way. And maybe, just maybe, teams have been willing to put me more at the 3-point line. “But today, I could see (on) my pick and rolls, they were going under. I can still do it, you know. I’m lucky to have the ability to impact the game in different areas, and I’m ready to get any role. But it’s going to be periods of time. I might not try a three for the next three games. It might just happen. I don’t think I will, but anything can happen.” The 75th NBA All-Star Game will mark Wembanyama’s second appearance in the NBA classic. Though many expect, himself included, that he’ll play in and start in many more, that didn’t affect the feeling of hearing his name as a starter for the first time. “I was glad, I was happy. I wasn’t sure my name was going be up there,” Wembanyama said. “So it’s great. It’s just another step. I was really happy to learn that I’m the first French guy to get that. I’m proud of this.” The post Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama drops blunt take after All-Star starting nod appeared first on ClutchPoints.

In the euphoric hours following the Indiana Hoosiers’ stunning national championship triumph, one of Indiana’s most recognizable sports icons captured the moment perfectly. Caitlin Clark took to social media with a message that instantly turned heads. She demanded Hollywood treatment for head coach Curt Cignetti after Indiana’s title win over the Miami Hurricanes. “What a story @IndianaFootball give coach cig his movie now!!” Clark posted, echoing the disbelief and pride felt across the state after one of the most improbable seasons in college football history. Indiana’s championship run felt cinematic long before Clark’s endorsement. The Hoosiers completed a flawless 16-0 season, capping a rapid two-year transformation that saw the program rise from Big Ten afterthought to the sport’s summit. In the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, Indiana defeated Miami 27-21 behind a disciplined, physical performance that mirrored Cignetti’s uncompromising philosophy. A fast start, opportunistic defense, and timely special teams plays allowed the Hoosiers to control the game’s rhythm. That’s even as Miami mounted multiple second-half rallies. Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza authored the defining moment. He converted a fearless fourth-down keeper into a fourth-quarter touchdown that swung momentum for good. Indiana’s defense then closed the door late, sealing the first national championship in program history and completing a season that will be referenced for generations. Clark’s call for a “Cignetti movie” may have been playful. However, it rang true. From a bold “I win” introduction to a perfect season and a national title, Indiana’s story now feels bigger than football. It’s exactly the kind of script Hollywood can’t ignore. The post Caitlin Clark demands Indiana football’s Curt Cignetti movie after National Championship win appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Chicago Bears reports went into the locker room after the team’s overtime defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams, expecting utter devastation. Sure, players were disappointed and depressed that the season was over. However, there also seemed to be a surprising air of optimism permeating the room. One would expect it came from […]