1
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Cavaliers
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After playing the Cavs (and probably losing), nearly every opponent remarks about how well they move the ball. So it might be somewhat surprising that they’re 27th in the NBA in passes made per game. But that actually speaks to how crisp and meaningful their ball movement is, as they rank second in the league in assist to pass percentage. That’s a whole lot of fancy words to say Cleveland is basically impossible to guard when the team is playing like this. Hats off to the new No. 1 team in the rankings.
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1
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32-4
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2
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Thunder
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OK they lost a game, but the Thunder still lead the league in defense by a wide margin and have beaten two of the East’s three best teams over the past week — without Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso. Mark Daigneault will probably take where they are. The importance of Isaiah Hartenstein can’t be overstated, as he’s put up 12 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and a block this season with OKC going 19-2 in games he’s played.
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1
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30-6
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3
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Celtics
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People will focus on the loss to OKC, but beating the pants off of very good Rockets and Nuggets teams on the road is nothing to take for granted. Boston has only lost four road games this season, 10 fewer than a year ago. Their 107.6 defensive rating away from home is second in the NBA this season.
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—
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27-10
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4
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Grizzlies
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As of Thursday morning, there is exactly one NBA team in the top five in offensive and defensive efficiency — take a bow, Memphis Grizzlies. It’s simply a mind-boggling feat when you consider the injury issues they’ve dealt with all season, and they’ve been utterly dominant with their Big Three of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. on the floor, putting up a plus-22 net rating in almost 200 minutes.
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1
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24-13
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5
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Knicks
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A marquee loss to the Thunder sent the Knicks into a bit of a tailspin as they dropped three straight, but there’s nothing like a tasty home matchup against the Raptors to get back on track. New York was happy to see Karl-Anthony Towns back in the lineup on Wednesday, as they managed just 94 points without him in a loss to the hobbled Magic. For the season, the Knicks offense drops from 121 points per 100 possessions to 112 when Towns is off the floor.
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1
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25-13
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6
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Rockets
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Losing Jabari Smith Jr. to a fractured hand is a bummer, but the silver lining is more opportunity for Amen Thompson, who’s averaged 17 points, 12 rebounds and three assists over his last six games on 67% shooting. Cam Whitmore, who may or may not be disgruntled depending on who you ask, has also benefited from various Rocket absences, averaging 13 points in 20 minutes on 41% 3-point shooting over his last nine games.
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—
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24-12
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7
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Nuggets
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With all the flak he caught during some down days with the Lakers, it’s only right that Russell Westbrook gets his flowers for what he’s been doing lately. The 36-year-old has averaged 14 points, eight assists and six rebounds on 55% shooting over his last 15 games. During that stretch, his plus-128 mark trails only Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets have gone 10-5. Turn back the clock.
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—
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21-15
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8
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Magic
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We just need to stop being surprised by this stuff. The ragtag Magic waltzed into MSG and walked out with a victory, holding the league’s third-best offense to 94 points. As if that weren’t good enough news, Paolo Banchero is expected to return soon from his oblique issue. The budding superstar averaged 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists in five games to start the season before the injury.
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1
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22-16
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9
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Mavericks
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Playing without Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving presents monumental challenges, but Dallas showed the blueprint in Tuesday’s win over the Lakers — great defense and timely offensive contributions from the likes of Spencer Dinwiddie, Quentin Grimes and P.J. Washington. The Mavericks have to be careful with their two stars out, as just a few losses can dramatically change their standing in the West.
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1
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21-16
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10
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Clippers
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Folks, Kawhi Leonard played basketball this week. Before taking a hiatus to be with his family amid the horrific fires in Los Angeles, Leonard averaged 10 points in 20 minutes during his first two games of the season, shooting just 32% from the field as he shakes off the rust. If anywhere close to healthy (yeah, we’ve said that before), he greatly raises the ceiling of an already overachieving Clipper squad.
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—
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20-17
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11
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Bucks
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It’s never a GREAT sign when the guy who was supposed to balance your starting lineup is now coming off the bench, but Khris Middleton at least gives the second unit another legit go-to scorer and playmaker when healthy. He put up eight points and three assists in 21 minutes in Wednesday’s win over the Spurs, his first game as a reserve since Dec. 20.
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4
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19-16
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12
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Lakers
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The Lakers’ forward momentum was halted with two losses in Texas, the second much more egregious to a Mavericks squad missing Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Los Angeles continues to defy the numbers, boasting a 20-16 record despite having the league’s 20th-ranked net rating.
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1
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20-16
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13
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Timberwolves
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So the game after Anthony Edwards said, “I don’t want to just be passing the ball all night,” he put up a career-high 53 points (with two assists) in a 14-point loss to the Pistons. He balanced things out a bit better over the next two games, both wins, averaging 34.5 points and 5.5 assists. He’s also been absolutely scorching from 3-point range, going 23 for 39 combined in those three games. The wins coincided with veteran point guard Mike Conley’s move to the bench.
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1
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19-17
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14
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Pacers
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The Pacers finally have some momentum, winning five of their last six games, including three in a row. Shout out to Thomas Bryant, who shredded the Bulls to the tune of 22 points and eight rebounds on 9-of-16 shooting in Wednesday’s spot start. Tyrese Haliburton has put together a consistent stretch, averaging 24 points and 10 assists on 49/40/85 splits over his last six games.
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5
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20-18
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15
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Heat
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The not-quite-post-Jimmy Butler world isn’t going great for the Heat, but they were able to frustrate the Warriors in Tuesday’s road win — even more impressive since they were coming off a double-overtime loss to the Kings the previous night. Quick returns say Jaime Jaquez is in line for a larger role, as he’s put up 16 points, six rebounds and five assists since Butler’s suspension.
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2
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18-17
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16
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Warriors
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When your coach is saying you’ve lost all confidence and “competitive spirit,” you’ve probably hit rock-bottom for the season. Steph Curry was visibly frustrated in Wednesday’s loss to the Heat, as he’s been left on an island as the only potential high-volume scorer on the floor following Jonathan Kuminga’s ankle injury that will keep him out at least three weeks. Golden State back down to .500, as a big swing at the trade deadline is looking more likely.
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4
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18-18
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17
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Pistons
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Jaden Ivey’s injury has not deterred the Pistons, who have won five straight behind the brilliance of Cade Cunningham. A consummate vet, Tobias Harris has picked up the scoring in Ivey’s absence, putting up 16.5 points and seven rebounds on 50/56/100 shooting splits over his last four games.
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4
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19-18
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18
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Hawks
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Ice freaking Trae. You’d be hard-pressed to find a game-winner with a higher degree of difficulty than Young’s half-court buzzer-beater to down the Jazz on Tuesday. And it’s not like it was a heave, he just pulled up and shot that thing like an 18-footer — simply remarkable. The Hawks needed it, too, as they had dropped three straight by at least 17 points prior to the win.
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2
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19-18
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19
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Kings
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Sacramento is now 5-1 since firing Mike Brown, boasting a top-five defense during its five-game winning streak (they were 16th under Brown at the time of his departure). Malik Monk always relishes extra opportunity, and he’s averaged 24.5 points and nine assists in the Kings’ last two games with De’Aaron Fox out.
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1
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18-19
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20
|
Spurs
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A little blip on the radar for the Spurs with three straight losses, as the offense has slowed to a crawl. Victor Wembanyama essentially needs to have a phenomenal game for the Spurs to have a chance. In wins he’s putting up 29 points and 4.5 assists per game on 53/42/85 splits, while in losses that drops to 21 points and three assists on 42% shooting, including 29% from long distance.
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3
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18-19
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21
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Suns
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Never a good sign when you’re accused of benching one of your best players in order to make him so upset that he hopefully waives his no-trade clause (those rumors have been shot down, but still … yeesh). Despite Monday’s win over the 76ers, the Suns are reeling, and Devin Booker wants to see more consistent effort and attitude even when they’re struggling. Bradley Beal has been solid in two games off the bench, but Phoenix has lost 11 of its last 15.
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3
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16-19
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22
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Bulls
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Does beating the Knicks on Derrick Rose Night make the whole season worth it? Not at all, but it was quite a spectacle with Bulls of old like Joakim Noah returning for the festivities. Speaking of oft-injured, fan-favorite point guards, Lonzo Ball has consistently been pushed to the 25-minute range over the last week or so, and he’s been a team-best plus-29 in his last five games.
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—
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17-20
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23
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76ers
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So, like, what is this team if Joel Embiid is playing two out of every five games? They’ve only averaged 104 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor this season compared to nearly 120 last year — just a catastrophic drop-off — but they’re also just 8-14 without the big man, so that’s clearly not the answer either. It doesn’t help that prized free-agent signing Paul George is putting up 16 points per game on 41% shooting and 33% from deep.
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—
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15-20
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24
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Trail Blazers
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The Blazers are a very respectable 4-3 in their last seven games, with the offense looking the best it has all season behind Anfernee Simons’ 23 points and six assists per game over that stretch. Deni Avdija is taking full advantage of Jerami Grant’s absence, putting up 19 points and eight rebounds on 55/39/86 splits during the veteran forward’s recent five-game absence. That should make the team more comfortable with the idea of parting ways with Grant before the trade deadline.
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1
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13-23
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25
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Nets
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Quick, name three players who have started the last three games for the Nets. If you said Nic Claxton, Keon Johnson and Ziaire Williams, we’ll send the gift box to your desired address. No surprise that Brooklyn has failed to crack the century mark in each of the three games … all losses, if you hadn’t guessed.
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1
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13-24
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26
|
Jazz
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Utah was one Trae Young miracle shot away from potentially having three straight wins, and they have Brice Sensabaugh to thank for the two victories. The second-year forward averaged 30.5 points in the two wins on ridiculous 12-for-17 3-point shooting. Then, of course, he missed Tuesday’s loss to Atlanta with an illness. Womp, womp. Continuing to develop young talent like his while also winning a game here and there would be best-case for the Jazz for the rest of the season.
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2
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9-26
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27
|
Hornets
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We don’t get to talk about Hornets wins very often, so let’s gush about LaMelo Ball’s 32-point, 10-rebound, seven-assist performance in Tuesday’s victory over the dispirited Suns. For their myriad faults, the Hornets are ninth in the NBA in defensive rating over their last 10 games, allowing 110.5 points per 100 possessions.
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—
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8-27
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28
|
Raptors
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Outside of a 130-point explosion last week, the Raptors have now scored 107 points or fewer in five of their last six games, including three sub-100 totals — just not going to get it done in the modern NBA. Gradey Dick has been the biggest difference-maker on that end of the floor this season, with the team averaging nearly nine more points per 100 possessions when he’s on the court.
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2
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8-29
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29
|
Pelicans
|
When Zion Williamson threw down a 360 windmill dunk in his first game back after a two-month hiatus, Pelicans fans — as fleetingly as it might have been — forgot all about the horrific season they’ve endured thus far. Williamson hardly missed a beat, putting up 22 points, six rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes on 9-of-15 shooting. Now the question is, how long can he stay on the court this time?
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1
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7-31
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30
|
Wizards
|
The Wizards briefly left behind the “NBA’s Worst Team” monicker, but four straight losses — including two straight to the Pelicans — land them right back at the bottom of the cellar. On the plus side, injuries have allowed Bub Carrington, Jared Butler and Corey Kispert some room to excel.
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1
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6-29
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