Edwards MVP, LeBron left behind: NBA 2026 All-Star highlights
Anthony Edwards named Most Valuable Player of All-Star tournament (photo: nba.com)
The decisive game of the NBA 2026 All-Star match took place overnight from February 15 to 16. This year’s tournament featured a new format – instead of the traditional conference showdown, fans saw a mini-tournament involving three teams, according to the league’s official website.
New All-Star weekend format
The NBA once again abandoned the traditional East vs. West model. The 24 players were divided into three teams – two U.S. squads (“Stripes” and “Stars”) and an international team – the “World Team.”
All three teams played one game against each other, with the two best teams advancing to the final. Each match lasted 12 minutes, equivalent to a standard NBA quarter.
Following the mini-tournament, the World Team failed to reach the final, finishing in third place.
Blowout in the final
The final game featured the U.S. Stripes and the U.S. Stars. The decisive match ended with a confident victory for the Stars – 47:21.
The top scorer for the winners was Tyrese Maxey with 9 points. Key contributions came from Anthony Edwards (8), Chet Holmgren (8), Jalen Duren (6), Scotty Barnes (6), and Devin Booker (5). Jalen Johnson added 5 points, while Cade Cunningham did not score.
For the Stripes, Donovan Mitchell scored the most with 6 points. LeBron James recorded 5 points, Jalen Brown – 4, Jalen Brunson – 3, De’Aaron Fox – 2, Kawhi Leonard – 1, and Kevin Durant did not score.
Anthony Edwards was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, becoming one of the key architects of the Stars’ victory in the final.
NBA 2026 All-Star Game Results
Final
U.S. Stripes – U.S. Stars – 21:47
Mini-Tournament
U.S. Stars – World Team – 37:35
U.S. Stripes – U.S. Stars – 42:40
U.S. Stripes – World Team – 48:45
Team Rosters
U.S. Stars (Coach – J.B. Bickerstaff): Scotty Barnes, Devin Booker, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Anthony Edwards, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Johnson, Tyrese Maxey
U.S. Stripes (Coach – Mitch Johnson): Jalen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, Brandon Ingram, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, De’Aaron Fox
World Team (Coach – Darko Rajaković): Norman Powell, Deni Avdija, Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Pascal Siakam, Karl-Anthony Towns, Victor Wembanyama, Alperen Şengün
U.S. Stars crowned tournament winners (photo: x.com/NBA)
Earlier, we reported that Oleksii Len set a record at Madrid’s Real.
