Category: NBA

Like many of the NBA All-Star weekend events, the G-League Next Up Game has taken on a variety of forms over the years. The first version of this contest, an All-Star game that mimicked the format of the NBA’s, was first held in Las Vegas in 2007. Since then it’s taken on different forms, including a “Futures vs Prospects” format, hosting international teams, all the way to the format we saw today.

The mini-tournament consisted of Red vs. Black, followed by Blue vs. White, with the winners of those contests moving on to the final. Each match was a target score contest, with the first round to 35 and the final to 30. 

In similar fashion to the NBA’s All-Star games, the defence and effort was on and off throughout the game. For the final few minutes in both games there was a distinct uptick in energy and effort, with teams wanting to see their way through to the final game. 

While it wasn’t nationally televised (in fact it took a few minutes to find the stream on the NBA App), it looked well-attended, doing what it was meant to: providing an opportunity for a few of the many talented G-League players to showcase their talent and represent the organizations they play for with pride. 

A.J. Lawson represented the Raptors 905 on Team Red. He opened up scoring for the game with a beautiful shot he stepped into. It was a solid start for him, running the floor, grabbing boards, and moving the ball around.

He struggled to score a little bit, missing some long range shots and a dunk attempt, but he made the most of it with a clutch baseline cut and a steal late in the game. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to move on, as Team Black took the win on a pair of free-throws. 

Alijah Martin was the second player to step on the court representing Toronto, this time for Team Blue. This game appeared to be less balanced, with Team Blue going down 21-8 early. As we know, Martin isn’t one to give in, and showed a little bit more effort on the defensive end than some of the other players. He was able to convert a long range shot that he stepped into, but didn’t make as much of an impact tonight as he did on Friday for the Rising Stars game.  

The opposite was true for his once-again teammate, Sean East II. East struggled during the Rising Stars game, but cashed in a pair of 3s (one on the assist from Martin), and had a nice move in the paint for a floater. 

Their combined effort brought the score up to 26-23, but they weren’t able to continue on either, with Team White running away with the game after a timeout. 

It also says a lot that both A.J. Lawson and Sean East II are representing Canadian Basketball as alumni of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. Lawson spent a season playing for the Guelph Nighthawks before he made his way to the NBA and returned to the G-League. He took a similar path as Lawson, taking the leap to play for the Edmonton Stingers of the CEBL after his first season in the G-League. During that season, he set the single-season scoring record of the CEBL on August 10 with a total of 546 points. Not much of a surprise when you see him making shots like this:

While it was disappointing to see neither of the Raptors 905 guys move on, it remains a testament to the development of players within the program to have both of them represented there.

Now, we wait for Scottie and Ingram will represent Toronto in the All-Star Game later tonight.

The NBA All-Star Game Red Carpet had it all on Sunday — flashy outfits, comfy kicks, showy accessories and even diamond gifts.

Players from USA Stars, USA Stripes and Team World strutted their stuff as they headed into Intuit Dome in Inglewood hours before tip-off of the NBA’s annual showcase, and each sported an ensemble that drew cheers from the small crowd in attendance.

Several — including Luka Doncic, Alperen Şengün and Chet Holmgren — opted for ties for the occasion, while Jamal Murray and Scottie Barnes went with more casual vibes.

Donovan Mitchell had perhaps the most notable accessories of the afternoon. He brought a unique carrying case for his shoes, and then he passed off his pricey sunglasses to a stunned young fan in the audience.

All of those on the All-Star roster were gifted diamond rings that came in boxes with recorded messages from their loved ones inside once they reached the end of the carpet.

According to the NBA, each piece of jewelry had 24 white diamonds.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his massive scarf actually gave away his ring to two fans who presented him with it.

Here’s a look at all of the Association’s best dressed ahead of their big day on the hardwood:

Donovan Mitchell giving a young fan his sunglasses. pic.twitter.com/m4TuWnsceI

— Edward Lewis (@Edward__Lewis) February 15, 2026

LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — Birk Ruud cleared the first hurdle on Sunday in his two-tiered quest to repeat as the Olympic big air champion and win a second gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games.

The two-time Olympian from Norway finished big air qualifying in third place, easing into Tuesday's final of 12 freeskiers.

Ruud, 25, won big air in Beijing four years ago and took gold on Tuesday in slopestyle.

After landing his first jump, Rudd did a head-over-heels forward flip, just for fun.

“It was a really good qualifying. I landed my two runs and felt real good about it,” Ruud said. “I expect a tough battle (in the final). It is going to be tight and there are going to be big tricks.”

American Mac Forehand had the best score of qualifying with 183 points from his two jumps. Austrian Matej Svancer was next.

New Zealand's Luca Harrington, who won bronze in slopestyle at these Games, was fifth.

American Alex Hall, the silver medalist in slopestyle, failed to advance.

In big air qualifying, skiers must land two of three jumps. Their top two scores are added together to determine their ranking.

The Livigno big air ramp, built on a scaffolding, sends the riders soaring down a slope that’s more than 40 meters (131 feet) in height and was lit by floodlights for the nighttime event.

___

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Taliah Scott scored 26 points and No. 12 Baylor breezed to a bounce-back win, defeating UCF 93-63 on Sunday.

The Bears fell a half-game out of first place in the Big 12 on Thursday when they lost at home to No. 17 TCU 83-67. Baylor plays at TCU on March 1.

Led by 12 points from Scott, Baylor rolled to a 27-13 lead through the first quarter against UCF, which lost by 50 points against Big 12-leader West Virginia last time out. Baylor led 52-23 at halftime after shooting 65% in the first half compared to 37% for UCF.

Scott made 7 of 8 shots and had 21 points by halftime. She finished 8 for 10 for the game with 3 of 4 3s and 7 for 7 at the free-throw line.

Jana Van Gytenbeek had 11 assists and 10 points for her first double-double of the season to go with the triple-double she had on Dec. 9 against Alabama State. Kayla Nelms scored 12 points off the bench, Bella Fontleroy scored 11 and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs 10 for the Bears (22-5, 11-3 Big 12).

No starter scored in double figures for UCF (10-15, 2-12). The bench led the way with Samari Bankhead's 16 points and 13 points from Kayanna Cox.

Baylor's lead reached 39 points three times in the second half, but UCF got within the final 30-point margin when Bankhead hit two 3-pointers and Jacorriah Bracey hit another in the final two minutes of the game.

Baylor defeated UCF 73-48 on Jan. 21 in the game that started UCF’s now seven-game losing streak.

Up next

Baylor: at Texas Tech on Wednesday.

UCF: Kansas State visits on Wednesday. ___

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FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Ben Shelton saved three match points before finishing another rally at the Dallas Open, beating top-seeded Taylor Fritz in three sets for the title Sunday in a matchup of the world's highest-ranked American men.

The No. 2 seed and No. 9 player in the ATP rankings lost the first set in each of the last three rounds of the tournament, this time coming back for a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Fritz in the first meeting of the top seeds since the event moved to Dallas in 2022.

Shelton improved to 4-0 in ATP finals and beat Fritz, ranked seventh in the world, after the pair had split their first two meetings. The 23-year-old's title came after he reached the Australian Open quarterfinals last month, losing in straight sets to Jannik Sinner.

After saving three match points to get the third set to 5-5, Shelton had three chances to close out Fritz while serving for the match. Fritz saved the first two, but the 10-time ATP champion couldn't match his opponent by saving the third.

“This was a crazy match to be a part of,” Shelton said. “I thought the level was amazing.”

Fritz's dominant serving from a semifinal win over Marin Cilic — the 28-year-old didn't even face a break point while winning both tiebreakers in a straight-sets victory — carried over to the first set of the final. Fritz won 12 of his first 13 service points while breaking Shelton in the left-hander's first service game.

Shelton turned the match late in the second set by breaking Fritz's serve for a 5-3 lead, then did it again early in the third set.

Fritz broke back for 3-3 was leading 5-4 on Shelton's serve when he had three chances to close out the match. Shelton got to deuce with an overhead smash from the net and a backhand winner that caught Fritz going the wrong way.

On Fritz's last match point, Shelton converted a volley to get back to deuce and went on to hold serve with a backhand volley into the open court with both players at the net.

“If you’d told me I lost after having three match points, I think I would expect to be a lot more upset,” Fritz said. “It hurts, but I feel like it doesn’t hurt as much as I would expect it to because I don’t really have a lot of regrets with how I played those match points.”

Fritz's double-fault — the only one of the match for either player — gave Shelton three break points at 5-5. Shelton converted the second break chance when Fritz's forehand went long.

An ace on a second serve gave Shelton three match points, and he converted the second when Fritz's lunging return attempt on Shelton's approach shot fell short.

___

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Jalen Johnson competes in his first All-Star Game as part of a US vs. the world round robin format.

Please join in the comments below as you follow along.

Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen

Location: Intuit Dome, Los Angeles, CA

Start Time: 5:00 PM EDT

TV: NBC

Streaming: Peacock

BYU basketball took a huge blow on Saturday, Feb. 14, with star guard Richie Saunders going down for the remainder of the season with injury.

Saunders, a fourth-year player averaging 18 points per game this season, will miss the remainder of the campaign after tearing his ACL early in BYU's 90-86 overtime win over Colorado on Feb. 14. BYU confirmed the injury in a press release on Feb. 15.

"To end my BYU career like this is heartbreaking," Saunders wrote on Instagram. "... My story has never been one of ease. And while I didn't plan for this, my career is not over. I will return with more fight and more grit than before. My goals haven't changed."

Richie Saunders injury

Saunders went down with the injury less than a minute into BYU's game against Colorado on Feb. 14 after taking an awkward fall. He was down on the ground for a few minutes before being helped to the locker room.

REQUIRED READING: Iowa State win over Kansas a reminder of Cyclones' Final Four potential

Saunders was BYU's best player last season and led the Cougars to their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2011. BYU will now rely on true freshman standout AJ Dybantsa and transfer Rob Wright III, who are averaging 24.4 and 18.7 points per game, respectively this season.

The 6-foot-5 senior guard was the Big 12's most improved player in 2025 after improving his scoring average from 9.6 points per game in 2023-24 to 16.5 points per game in 2024-25. He ranks eighth in program history in 3-point makes (205) and 15th in 20-point games.

BYU has won two games in a row against Baylor and Colorado after dropping four consecutive games against Arizona, Kansas, Oklahoma State and Houston. The Cougars' next two games won't be easy, either, facing Arizona on the road and Iowa State at home without Saunders.

Richie Saunders stats

Here are Saunders' year-by-year stats at BYU:

• 2022-23 (freshman): 5.5 points with 2.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game
• 2023-24 (sophomore): 9.6 points with 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game
• 2024-25 (junior): 16.5 points with 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game
• 2025-26 (senior): 18 points with 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Richie Saunders injury: BYU star to miss rest of season with torn ACL

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Clara Strack had 28 points and nine rebounds, Tonie Morgan added 14 points and nine assists, and No. 18 Kentucky beat No. 14 Mississippi 74-57 on Sunday.

Asia Boone scored 10 of her 15 points in the second quarter for Kentucky (20-7, 7-6 SEC).

Latasha Lattimore scored four points and Cotie McMahon the next five in a 9-0 spurt that trimmed the Rebels' deficit to 57-51 with 6:45 left in the game, but Strack scored eight consecutive points over the next three-plus minutes before Morgan made a layup to give Kentucky a 16-point lead with 2:59 to play.

Ole Miss (20-6, 7-4) had won four of its last five, the lone loss in that span coming at then-No. 21 Alabama, 64-63, on Feb. 5.

McMahon led the Rebels with 18 points but made just 4 of 18 from the field. Lattimore finished with 15 points, on 6-of-17 shooting and added 11 rebounds and three blocks.

Lattimore made a layup to open the scoring, but Strack hit two free throws and then a jumper that made it 4-2 less than three minutes into the game and Kentucky never trailed again, although there was one more tie.

Boone converted a four-point play to spark a 19-0 run that culminated when Boone sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around another 3 by Amelia Hassett to make it 39-15 with 3:18 left in the second quarter.

Up next

Ole Miss: Hosts No. 22 Tennessee on Tuesday in a game that had previously been scheduled for Jan. 26.

Kentucky: Plays next Sunday at No. 5 Vanderbilt.

___

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There is always one question that hangs over every trade deadline, and it starts with intent. What are you trying to be in that moment as an organization? Buyers. Sellers. A team standing still and letting the chaos pass. Some franchises swing for the fences, others chip away at the margins, and this year, more than most, we saw teams prioritize financial flexibility as much as on-court improvement.

For the Phoenix Suns, the deadline came and went quietly. No blockbuster moves. No roster shakeups that rattled the league. No dramatic exits or headline-grabbing arrivals. Instead, Phoenix operated in the margins, making subtle adjustments while doing what they could to stay clear of deeper luxury tax complications.

Their only move came via a three-team deal that sent Nigel Hayes-Davis to Milwaukee and Nick Richards to Chicago, with Phoenix bringing back Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey. That was it. Purposeful, depending on how you view it.

Did they get better? That is where the conversation gets interesting.

The community was split, but not divided. 42% felt the Suns improved, while 38% believed they essentially held serve. When you zoom out, that means 80% of the fan base landed in the same general place: either the team got better or at least didn’t take a step back.

At the deadline, Phoenix chose restraint over reaction, patience over panic, and marginal gains over fireworks. Whether that proves to be enough will be written over the final stretch of the season, but the intent was clear. This was not about winning February headlines. It was about positioning, flexibility, and trusting the direction already in place.

I fall into the camp that believes the team largely stayed the same. You can make a reasonable case that they got marginally better, and I am not pushing back against that, because it is not an unreasonable read of the situation.

What they gave up in the deal was one player who never saw the floor and another who had effectively been played out of the rotation. Nigel Hayes-Davis brought value as a locker room presence, but as a wing on the court, the results never really matched the hope. Nick Richards, meanwhile, reached a point where the coaching staff no longer trusted him in meaningful minutes.

Losing Richards does thin out your size, especially when you look at depth across the frontcourt, and that part matters. At the same time, it opened a developmental lane for your tenth overall pick, which carries its own long-term value. In return, Phoenix brought in one player who has yet to report and another who appears to be carving out a role as a rotation-level three-and-D wing. That has utility, especially on a team searching for reliable minutes on the edges.

The odds on FanDuel did not change much. Acquiring Amir Coffey didn’t bump the team to Pacific Division favorites (that still goes to the Lakers at -175 while the Suns are at +190).

So if you want to frame it as a marginal improvement, I get it. If you want to call it holding the line, that also tracks. For me, it lands closer to a wash, a deadline defined by subtle shifts rather than meaningful change, and one that keeps the Suns largely in the same competitive lane they were already occupying.

How Jaylen Brown fared for USA Stripes in new All-Star Game tournament originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

While his teammates enjoyed some much-needed downtime, Jaylen Brown was a busy man at NBA All-Star Weekend.

The Boston Celtics star participated in his fifth career All-Star Game on Sunday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, getting the start for USA Stripes in the debut of the league’s new round-robin All-Star tournament format.

Here’s a quick explainer of the format, followed by Brown’s stats and highlights from the night:

NBA All-Star Game format

The league’s 22 active All-Stars were split into three teams: USA Stripes (featuring Brown and older veterans such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant), USA Stars (featuring younger players like Anthony Edwards and Cade Cunningham) and World (international players).

Each team played two 12-minute games against the other two squads, and the two teams with the best records — with point differential as the tiebreaker — faced each other in the championship.

USA Stars beat the World team in Game 1 on a Scottie Barnes buzzer-beater, then Brown’s USA Stripes squad faced USA Stars in Game 2.

Jaylen Brown’s Game 2 stats and highlights

• Stat line: 9:23 minutes, 11 points, 5-9 FG, 1-3 3PT, 3 rebounds, 1 block

Brown showed out in this one, scoring a team-high 11 of the Stripes’ 42 points and helping his team earn a 42-40 win over the Stars.

Brown thrived at all three levels: He threw down a pair of thunderous dunks, hit a 3-pointer over Chet Holmgren and cashed some difficult shots in the midrange to help power the Stripes’ offense.

Team Stripes trailed by one in the closing seconds, but De’Aaron Fox hit a 3-pointer as time expired to secure the victory.

Jaylen Brown’s Game 3 stats and highlights

• Stats: 7:57 minutes, 0 points, 0-3 FG, 0-1 3PT, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks

This was the Kawhi Leonard Game. Playing in his home arena, the Clippers star went absolutely nuclear with 31 of the Stripes’ 48 points as they earned a 48-45 victory over the World.

Brown didn’t contribute to the scoring but proved why he’s one of the best two-way players in the league with a steal and a pair of blocks, including a clutch swat on Jamal Murray in the final minute.

Jaylen Brown’s championship game stats and highlights

Stats: 12 minutes, 4 points, 2-10 FG, 0-7 3PT, 2 rebounds, 1 assist

The championship game was an All-American rematch between Stripes and Stars, and this time, the Stars got their revenge, jumping out to a 12-1 lead before cruising to a 47-21 victory.

Brown got his money’s worth by hoisting a team-high 10 shots but missed all seven of his 3-point attempts as he tried to get Stripes back in the game.

Anthony Edwards dropped eight points as part of a balanced attack for Stars and was named the All-Star Game MVP.

Jaylen Brown’s final stat line

Over three 12-minute “games,” Brown finished with 15 points, three rebounds, two assists, three blocks and a steal. While he didn’t have the best shooting performance overall (7 for 22), his 11 points were key in helping Stripes reach the championship game.

The Celtics are off until Thursday, when they’ll take on old friends Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis in Golden State against the Warriors (10 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston).

UConn is 24-2 this season, but Dan Hurley is sick of playing in a building that doesn't reflect that energy.

After a 79-75 win over Georgetown on Feb. 14, Hurley and Hoyas coach Ed Cooley were surprised by the lack of enthusiasm in Storrs.

"Very tough place to play. Honestly, I was surprised there was empty seats up in the section," Cooley told reporters after the game. "I mean, you've got a national championship team. This place should be sold out every day. That actually shocked me ... This place should've been bouncing off the wall on a Saturday night with a team that's out there like that. That's just what I saw."

When does March Madness start? Selection Sunday date, conference tournaments schedule

With the strong season UConn is having so far, Dan Hurley expects more out of the fans. pic.twitter.com/aG84CU9MKM

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 15, 2026

Hurley had no interest in disabusing Cooley of that notion. He also called out the UConn faithful for its showing on Valentine's Day in a lengthy response.

"I've kind of given up on [hyping up the crowd]," Hurley said when he was asked about Cooley's comments. "I've done that. I don't get the same response." He added UConn is the self-appointed "Basketball Capital of the World" and it doesn't reflect that.

After rattling off his impressive resume with UConn, Hurley mentioned a few places that do live up to their crowd billings. "The section behind our basket was empty," he said. "It should be a madhouse when we play here at the 'Basketball Capital of the World' for our games ... Xavier's a madhouse when we go there. Creighton is a madhouse. When we play St. John's now in the Big East road game, that's not Storrs South no more. That environment that we played in was a serious, serious nasty environment. Intense environment. We were at a major disadvantage in terms of the atmosphere. I could go to Kansas and some of these different places that we play."

Hurley signed off by saying he doesn't question his own standing.

"I got some [expletive] equity," he said. "I got two national championships here in the last three years. And we've given you the season that there's a lot of programs across the country that's fans wish they had going. So I'm not doing that anymore. I ask the players to try to do it. You don't come to watch the game, it's not a [expletive] social event ... It needs to be a madhouse."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dan Hurley, Ed Cooley question UConn fans after lack of students at game

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Ashlon Jackson and Taina Mair scored 14 points each on their senior day and No. 11 Duke edged No. 21 North Carolina 72-68 on Sunday, the Blue Devils' 16th consecutive win.

After a back-and-forth first half that saw 16 lead changes, Duke led 41-33 at halftime and never trailed in the second half. The Blue Devils' lead was only 56-54 with 30 seconds left in the third quarter but the Tar Heels got no closer.

Delaney Thomas' layup made it a six-point game with 30 seconds remaining. Nyla Brooks hit a 3 for North Carolina with 15 seconds left, but Jackson added a free throw for the final margin.

Riley Nelson scored 13 points and Toby Fournier grabbed 12 rebounds for Duke (19-6, 14-0 ACC). Mair finished with seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals.

Ciera Toomey scored 14 points, Indya Nivar 12 and Brooks and Nyla Harris 10 each for North Carolina (21-6, 10-4). It was UNC's first loss this season when the Nyla's — Brooks and Harris — both scored in double figures.

There were 10 lead changes in the first quarter and Nelson's jumper in the final minute gave Duke a 19-18 lead at the end of the period.

A 7-0 run helped put North Carolina ahead 29-23 in the second quarter. Jordan Wood hit three second-quarter 3-pointers to help Duke take an eight-point lead at halftime.

Duke, which visits North Carolina on March 1 in a regular-season finale, leads the series 57-55.

Up next

North Carolina: at Virginia Tech on Thursday.

Duke: N.C. State visits on Tuesday. ___

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INGLEWOOD, CA — LeBron James, holding court before his record 22^ndNBA All-Star appearance, took some time to reflect on his future — but not too much.

At 41 years old, James remains an impact player and is reimagining what can be expected of a player his age. And though there has been plenty of speculation about James’ future beyond this season, he said he has not made up his mind on potential retirement.

“I want to live,” James told reporters Sunday, Feb. 15. “When I know, you guys will know. I have no idea. I just want to live, that’s all.”

James was speaking at a press conference at the Intuit Dome, hours before he plays for Team Stars in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, which will employ a USA vs. World format.

Winners, losers from U.S. vs. World 2026 NBA All-Star Game originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The first ever U.S. vs. World NBA All-Star Game is in the books.

Thought it wasn’t a standard 48-minute game between two teams, there were improved effort levels and a higher competition level than previous All-Star Games.

Four 12-minute games highlighted the event, as Team World lost their two appearances. Both the Stars and Stripes went 2-1 apiece, but the former won the game that mattered most.

The Stars easily cruised past the Stripes 47-21 in the championship game, with the latter team playing the final three games having possibly played a factor in their sudden inability to score. The Stars, who didn’t play in Game 3, looked the far more fresher of the two and used that to their advantage.

Let’s analyze the event in Los Angeles further with winners and losers:

WINNER: Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves

Before the action started, Edwards said he wanted to prove those who believed Team World was better than the U.S. wrong. From the get-go, the Minnesota Timberwolves star came out with energy and hunger, rivaling that of San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama.

Edwards eventually got the last laugh and won the All-Star Game MVP award for his performances, which included eight points, four rebounds and two assists in the championship game.

Spectators wanted to see more effort from stars. Edwards brought it.

LOSER: Team World’s record

A team featuring Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jamal Murray, among others, did not win a single game.

Of course, they only participated in two and both were close. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also missed out due to injuries.

But one could argue they should’ve at least done more given the quality across the board. Based on Wembanyama’s reactions, he won’t want that next season should the format return.

WINNER: Kawhi Leonard, Clippers

The Stripes ultimately didn’t win, but LA Clippers star Leonard provided some of the best quality on the day.

In the 48-45 win over Team World, Leonard accounted for 31 of his team’s points on a red-hot 11 of 13 shooting from the field. The Stripes had trailed early and could’ve been in danger of getting eliminated, but the hometown man came to the rescue.

The momentum didn’t carry over to the final, but the memories did.

LOSER: Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic

Most of Team World’s downfalls came down to the lack of two quality players not playing. Denver Nuggets star Jokic and Los Angeles Lakers star Doncic only played five minutes each in the first game, then never touched the floor again.

They both have recently returned from injuries, but this would’ve been a chance to get some reps and minutes under their belt for the regular-season games that lie ahead. It was the opposite of the effort Wembanyama and Edwards displayed.

WINNER: Youth movement

Analysis of the three All-Star teams, especially the two U.S. ones, made something stand out. The Stripes were more veteran based with long-term stars, while the Stars featured a mix of present and rising stars.

It’s ultimately a pretty good look for the league that the young “Stars” won it all, with Edwards, Tyrese Maxey, Chet Holmgren, Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and more doing their parts.

LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Leonard and Co. won’t be around for many more years before they hang up the sneakers. It’s imperative to build on the young guys while the faces are still here to make the transition easier. The NBA will hope for a positive step forward in that regard.