Kawhi Drops 31 in All-Star
Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points in just 12 minutes and hit the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds left to lift USA Stripes over Team World 48-45 in the NBA All-Star Game. Leonard's explosive performance came in front of his home crowd, while Victor Wembanyama led the World team but couldn't prevent the USA victory.
- The 2026 NBA All-Star Game featured a new format with three teams: USA Stripes (veteran US players), USA Stars (younger US players), and Team World (international players), competing in a round-robin tournament. - Leonard's 31 points for USA Stripes came in a blistering 11-for-13 shooting performance, including going 6-for-7 from three-point range. However, he scored just one point in the championship game. - The event took place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, the home arena of Leonard's Los Angeles Clippers. - Anthony Edwards of the USA Stars was named the All-Star Game MVP, receiving 10 of the 14 MVP votes, with Leonard receiving the other four. Edwards finished with a total of 32 points across the three games. - Victor Wembanyama was a standout for Team World, leading his team in scoring in both of their games with 14 and 19 points respectively. His competitive play was credited by MVP Anthony Edwards for "setting the tone" for the event. - Despite Leonard's heroics in the round-robin stage, his USA Stripes team lost in the championship game to the USA Stars in a lopsided 47-21 contest. - The new format was generally well-received for increasing the competitiveness of the games, with the first three matchups being decided by three points or less. - De'Aaron Fox of the USA Stripes also had a flair for the dramatic, hitting a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to defeat the USA Stars in their round-robin matchup.
