The NBA All-Star Recreation is formally again. After years of embarrassing efforts, even by exhibition sport requirements, the gamers lastly delivered a showcase that they, and the league, could be happy with — even when the championship sport of the brand new Group USA vs. Group World format was a little bit of a dud.
The USA Stars, the youthful roster of American All-Stars, destroyed Group Stripes, to extra veteran American group, 47-21, within the championship to elevate the trophy after an exciting round-robin collection. Anthony Edwards, who poured in 32 factors throughout Group Stars’ three video games, was named MVP, changing into the primary Minnesota Timberwolves participant to earn the glory since Kevin Garnett in 2003.
After a enjoyable evening of motion contained in the Intuit Dome, here is a take a look at the winners and losers from the 2026 All-Star Recreation.
Winner: Victor Wembanyama
Within the lead as much as Sunday’s showcase, the French phenom made it clear that he was not pleased with what the occasion had become lately, and was going to do his finest to alter it.
“I need to push the good gamers of this sport to play within the All-Star sport simply as arduous as I’ll,” Wembanyama stated in January. “We’ll see the way it goes, but when they do not play arduous, I am going to do it with out them.”
He expanded on these ideas on Saturday. “Exclamation-point performs, enjoying in a stable method and sharing the ball with power,” Wembanyama stated, when requested how he deliberate to set a aggressive tone. “When you share that power, individuals really feel like they’ve a duty to share it again to you.”
Wembanyama walked the stroll proper from the opening tip of the primary sport. Throughout the first two minutes, he threw down an enormous slam, scored the primary seven factors for Group World and swatted a Jalen Duren try into the gang. When Group World misplaced the opener in extra time due to a foul defensive rotation, he threw his fingers up and stormed off the court docket like he had simply misplaced a playoff sport.
Everybody else adopted swimsuit.
“I ain’t gonna lie, Wemby set the tone,” Anthony Edwards stated. “He got here out and performed arduous, so it is arduous to not match that.”
Winner: The NBA
Between all the tanking discourse, a few of Adam Silver’s feedback throughout his Saturday press convention and a disastrous All-Star Saturday Evening, the league was going through extra public criticism than it had in a very long time. As an entity, the very last thing the NBA wanted was one other lifeless All-Star Recreation.
As an alternative, the gamers delivered essentially the most memorable mid-season showcase since 2020, and one of the vital aggressive occasions ever.
The primary three video games of the spherical robin format had been superior and all went all the way down to the wire.
- Group Stars defeated Group World in extra time of Recreation 1 on a game-ending 3-pointer by Scottie Barnes
- Group Stripes defeated Group Stars in Recreation 2 on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by De’Aaron Fox
- Group Stripes defeated Group World in Recreation 3 on a last-second 3-pointer by Kawhi Leonard
The championship become a rout, because the a lot youthful Group Stars cruised previous the veteran-filled Group Stripes, who gave the impression to be out of gasoline. The previous few minutes of that contest appeared so much just like the earlier All-Star Video games. However regardless that the evening ended on a low, the general product was a lot better than anybody anticipated, and spared the league one other wave of criticism.
Loser: The championship sport
As talked about, the brand new All-Star Recreation format pitting the most effective American gamers towards the most effective worldwide gamers was working to perfection by way of the spherical robin format, because of an enormous help from Wembanyama.
The 2 American squads, Group Stars and Group Stripes, superior to the championship, and every little thing was arrange for an exciting conclusion to the most effective All-Star Recreation in years. So, in fact, we obtained a blowout.
The youthful Group Stars had far more juice left of their legs, they usually jumped out to an early double-digit lead. Group Stripes briefly gave itself some hope with back-to-back 3s from LeBron James and Jalen Brunson to chop the deficit all the way down to 9 with seven minutes to play, however by no means obtained nearer.
Whereas the evening was an total success, the best way it ended was undoubtedly a bummer.
Winner: Kawhi Leonard
Leonard has had an odd six months.
Throughout the offseason, Leonard was the topic of an investigative report by Pablo Torre that alleged the Clippers star had acquired $28 million by way of a fradulent advertising settlement that allowed his crew to avoid the wage cap. The NBA’s investigation into the matter has not but concluded.
Shortly after the season obtained underway, Leonard was compelled to the sidelines for almost three weeks with ankle and foot sprains. The Clippers went 2-8 with out him, a part of a disastrous begin to the season for the crew, which was anticipating to get again to the playoffs.
A number of days earlier than Christmas, Leonard started among the best stretches of his profession, which included three 40-point outings within the span of 5 video games, together with a career-high 55 factors in a win over the Jap Convention-leading Detroit Pistons. The recent streak kicked off a shocking turnaround for the Clippers, who went from 6-21 to 26-28 within the span of two months to climb into Play-In Event place within the Western Convention.
Regardless of an unbelievable previous few weeks, Leonard wasn’t initially named to the sport, however ultimately made it as an harm alternative. He proved to be a clever choose by Silver, and placed on an unbelievable present in entrance of the Clippers followers on Sunday, as he helped Group Stripes attain the championship sport. In Recreation 3 of the round-robin format, Leonard poured in 31 of Group Stripes’ 48 factors on 11-of-13 capturing from the sector, together with a 6-of-7 effort from 3-point vary, and hit a game-winning triple over Karl-Anthony Cities (extra on that later) within the closing seconds.
Leonard’s 12-minute bonanza was among the best components of the evening, and was yet one more reminder that when he is wholesome, there are few higher gamers on the earth.
“It was nice. Completely happy that Adam [Silver] let me in. That is what the house crowd needed to see. I am glad I used to be capable of do one thing in that sport,” Leonard stated.
Winner: Anthony Edwards
Earlier this weekend, Edwards was blunt when requested for his ideas on the state of the All-Star Recreation (“It’s what it’s at this level”) and whether or not the brand new format would make a distinction (“No”).
However by the tip of the primary sport, Edwards had modified his tune.
“I ain’t gonna lie, Wemby set the tone,” Edwards stated. “He got here out and performed arduous, so it is arduous to not match that.”
Edwards can at instances seem aloof and “too cool for college” throughout press conferences, however on the court docket he is one of many league’s most fierce rivals. It is unlikely that he went into Sunday evening with a plan to play arduous, however as soon as Wembanyama had laid down a marker, he could not assist however reply.
“Yeah, [Wembanyama] set the tone, man, and it woke me up, for positive,” Edwards added after the sport.
Edwards had 13 factors in Recreation 1, 11 factors in Recreation 2 and eight factors within the championship, for a complete of 32 on the evening, and was named All-Star MVP for his efforts.
Loser: Karl-Anthony Cities
Cities spends all season listening to about his defensive deficiencies, and the way they could forestall the New York Knicks from profitable a championship. All-Star Weekend is meant to be a respite from that kind of speak, however in some way Cities discovered himself on the receiving finish of much more criticism.
Recreation 1 between Group World and Group Stars went to extra time, and as an alternative of placing any time on the clock, a profitable rating of 5 factors was set. Group World was up 3-2, and may have been enjoying a no-3s protection, however Cities for some cause rotated into the paint to attempt to cease Jalen Duren, which left Scottie Barnes broad open from behind the arc. Duren discovered Barnes for the game-winning shot.
In Recreation 3 between Group World and Group Stripes, the rating was tied within the closing seconds when Cities obtained switched onto Leonard. Cities truly performed fairly good protection, however Leonard drained a game-winning 3 proper in his face.
Poor Cities. The primary time anybody has been anticipated to point out any kind of effort on that finish of the ground within the All-Star Recreation and he instantly finds himself on a defensive lowlight reel.
