Warriors, Hawks pace topsy turvy mid-season table (AFP)

A script-flipping NBA campaign reaches its mid-season break for the All-Star Game this weekend with the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks the surprising pace-setters among a host of upstarts. While the Cleveland Cavaliers have started to flourish as returning superstar LeBron James has blended with his new teammates and Oklahoma City has bounced back from early season injuries to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, new teams have raised their game to seize command. The Warriors, powered by All-Star guards Steph Curry (23.6 points a game) and Klay Thompson (22.1), boast the NBA's best record at 42-9 while the Hawks pace the Eastern Conference at 43-11 and have a record-tying four players on the East All-Star squad.