Cavs' Lue to coach Eastern Conference All-Stars

Even though he has only been on the job for less than a week, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue was tabbed as the Eastern Conference All-Star team's head coach for next month's game in Toronto, the NBA announced Wednesday night.

Lue clinched the gig when the Cavs defeated the Phoenix Suns 115-93 Wednesday night. The win ensured Cleveland would have the best record in the East on Jan. 31, the rule that dictates who coaches the All-Star squad.

Related: Popovich to coach Western Conference All-Stars

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was named Western Conference All-Star boss earlier Wednesday. While the Spurs have the second-best record in that conference, coaches cannot lead the team in consecutive years. The NBA had said last week they were looking into the possibility of Golden State Warriors interim coach Luke Walton being eligible, but apparently decided against that.

Lue has a career NBA head coaching record of 2-1, and took over the Cavaliers last Friday after the dismissal of David Blatt. When All-Star weekend rolls around on Feb. 12, Lue will have just 11 games of head coaching experience under his belt.

There had been some discussion, mostly on social media, about giving the job to a longer-tenured coach like Dwane Casey of the Toronto Raptors - who currently hold second place in the East - but it appears the league chose to stick with the status quo.