P.J. Washington is doing it all for the Mavericks with Luka Doncic sidelined. Normally a fourth or fifth option for Dallas, Washington has stepped up his game with the perennial MVP candidate hurt for most of this season.

The Miami Heat are set for an Eastern Conference clash with the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night. Here's what you need to know before tip-off in this battle.

The Milwaukee Bucks are currently on a four game winning streak after a dominant 123-109 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. This puts them at a 24-17 record a

Cleared to play Thursday

The Milwaukee Bucks plane took off in New Orleans shortly after the city's airport re-opened on Thursday afternoon.

The Bucks had been stuck in New Orleans, where they had arrived Monday to prepare to face the Pelicans on Wednesday. That game got postponed after a historic winter storm Tuesday dumped about a foot of snow there, with many of the city’s roads remaining coated in ice a day later.

Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to be the NBA’s most popular player – at least in terms of fan voting for the annual all-star game – as the Milwaukee Bucks superstar led all players in fan voting for the second straight year en route to his ninth consecutive all-star appearance.

The coaches for this year's All-Star Game, determined by best record in each conference will be the Thunders' Mark Daignault and the Cavs' Kenny Atkinson. Assistant coaches from the Oklahoma City and Cleveland staffs will also coach two teams in the tournament.

The Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic will headline the starting lineups for next month’s NBA All-Star Game, which will debut a new tournament format. Antetokounmpo,