The first round of NBA All-Star voting is always wonky. Fan voting in general can get that way. So when the first round of fan voting returns came in Thursday, it should be no surprise that the top 10 is full of weirdness.

Take, for example, Tacko Fall – the Maine Red Claws center who has played a total of 11 minutes for the Boston Celtics – who has been pushed to sixth overall in Eastern Conference frontcourt voting (110,269 votes). He’s currently ahead of Miami’s Bam Adebayo, Gordon Hayward and Indiana’s Domantas Sabonis.

Obviously Fall won’t make the All-Star game. The NBA made fan voting only part of the process, including player and media input to avoid anomalies like this.

Boston’s Jayson Tatum is fifth in the frontcourt voting with 364,137 votes. Kemba Walker is third among guards (432,031).

Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic, last year’s NBA Rookie of the Year, leads all players with 1,073,957 votes, followed closely by Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (1,073,358) and LeBron James of the Lakers (1,020,851).

According to NBA.com, fans account for 50 percent of the vote to determine the 10 starters. All current NBA players and a media panel each account for 25 percent of the vote, with every voter completing one full ballot featuring two guards and three frontcourt players from each conference. Voting for fans, players and media will conclude on Jan. 20.

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The NBA All-Star 2020 team rosters will be drafted by the two captains. They will choose from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves in each conference, making their selections regardless of conference affiliation. The captains will be the All-Star starter from each conference who receives the most fan votes in his conference.

MAGIC: The Orlando Magic are bracing to be without forward Jonathan Isaac for at least two months and possibly more, after tests showed an injury to the posterior lateral corner of his left knee as well as a bone bruise.

The Magic said Isaac – who is off to the best statistical start of his career, particularly on the defensive end – will be out indefinitely, won’t be re-evaluated for at least eight weeks and that surgery may still be an option.

PELICANS: Zion Williamson returned to practice with New Orleans for the first time since he had arthroscopic knee surgery shortly before the season.

But the NBA’s top overall draft choice out of Duke cannot yet say when he’ll make his regular-season debut.

Williamson, 6-foot-6 and 285 pounds, said he first must pass “assessments” by team medical staff before the decision can rest solely with him.

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THURSDAY”S GAMES

NUGGETS 126, PACERS 116: Michael Porter Jr. scored a career-high 25 points and Jamal Murray added 22, leading Denver over host Indiana.

The Nuggets have won 3 of 4 and won despite having Nikola Jokic in serious foul trouble all night. Jokic finished with 22 points, 12 in the fourth quarter, and seven rebounds.

Jeremy Lamb had a season-high 30 points for the Pacers, who have lost 4 of 6.

HEAT 84, RAPTORS 76: Bam Adebayo had 15 points and 14 rebounds and Miami put together its best defensive performance of the season in winning at home.

HORNETS 109, CAVALIERS 106: Devonte’ Graham hit a 3-pointer with 26 seconds left to break a tie and cap Charlotte’s late rally at Cleveland.

JAZZ 102, BULLS 98: Bojan Bogdanovic scored 19 points and surging Utah won at Chicago.

The Jazz went on a 24-4 run in the third quarter to grab a nine-point lead and came away with their 10th win in 12 games after Chicago tied it in the closing minutes.

TIMBERWOLVES 99, WARRIORS 84: Shabazz Napier and Robert Covington each scored 20 points to help Minnesota beat visiting Golden State.


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