Stars rule NBA all-stars

ANTHONY Edwards has long said he wants to become the best basketball player in the world, and he made a strong statement with an MVP performance in the NBA All-Star Game’s new mini-tournament format, the Associated Press reported.

The Minnesota Timberwolves star led the Stars squad to a dominant 47-21 victory over the Stripes, a team featuring LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard, in the championship game Sunday (Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, PH time) at the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers.

The NBA introduced the three-team format this year to boost competitiveness, pitting two American squads against a World team. While the round-robin stage produced tight finishes, the tournament concluded with a blowout finale.

In the opening game, the Stars edged the World team, 37-36, in overtime. Edwards forced extra time with a clutch three-pointer before Scottie Barnes drained the game-winning triple in OT.

The Stripes won the second game, 42-40, after De’Aaron Fox buried a buzzer-beating three-pointer to defeat the Stars.

In the third game, Leonard erupted for 31 points to lift the Stripes past the World team, 48-45, highlighted by a go-ahead three-pointer in the final seconds.

Edwards secured his first All-Star MVP award — the Kobe Bryant Trophy — after totaling 32 points across the three games, including 13 in the opener, 11 in the second game and eight in the final.

The star-studded crowd included Barack Obama, whom Edwards said motivated him to deliver a strong performance.

For the World team, Victor Wembanyama led in scoring in both of his games, while Kevin Durant said the new format improved competitiveness. The World squad was shorthanded, with Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo sitting out due to injury concerns.

Edwards said his favorite moment was beating the World team, adding, “They say they’re the best players in the world. So beating them is the best feeling in the world.” / LBG