Kawhi Leads All-Star Victory
Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points in just 12 minutes, drilling a tiebreaking three-pointer with 3.5 seconds left to lift USA Stripes over Team World 48-45 at NBA All-Star Weekend in Inglewood. Victor Wembanyama led Team World but couldn't prevent the defeat in the tight contest.
- The 2026 NBA All-Star Game featured a new format: a round-robin tournament with three teams (Team World, USA Stripes, and USA Stars) playing 12-minute games. This event was the 75th edition of the NBA All-Star Game and took place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, home of the Los Angeles Clippers. - Leonard's spectacular performance came in his home arena, where he shot 11-for-13 from the field and 6-for-7 on three-pointers. Prior to the game-winning shot, teammate LeBron James had put USA Stripes ahead with a dunk with 31 seconds left, before Wembanyama tied the game with two free throws. - Victor Wembanyama scored 19 points for Team World in the loss and attempted a three-pointer at the buzzer that would have tied the game but missed. Despite his team going 0-2, Wembanyama was praised for setting a competitive tone for the entire event. - The victory advanced the veteran-laden USA Stripes team to the championship game of the mini-tournament. In the final, they were defeated 47-21 by the USA Stars, a team composed of younger American players. - Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards was named the All-Star Game MVP for his performance with the champion USA Stars team. - In their first game of the tournament, USA Stripes defeated the USA Stars 42-40 on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by De'Aaron Fox.
