Category: NBA

The NBA found some (unexpected?) success with its new All-Star format on Sunday, even if it ended in a bit of a dud.

Luka Dončić and LeBron James took part in the three-team, USA vs. World format for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game which saw a trio of really exciting games before an underwhelming championship game.

LeBron’s Team Stripes won back-to-back games to earn a spot in the title game, but ran out of steam in the final, losing to the much younger Team Stars. Team World lost to each USA team in close contests. Luka did play in the first game, but only played a short stint before sitting out the remainder of the night.

Luka had a layup early in the first game between Team World and Team Stars after leaking out on a fastbreak. He played just past the five-minute mark of the first game before checking out.

The game had a little more intensity to it than previous versions, largely thanks to Victor Wembanyama setting the tone. Cade Cunningham, Devin Booker and Anthony Edwards matched that for Team Stars and the result a close contest in the final minutes.

Ant knocked down a three with 13 seconds left to tie the game, forcing overtime. In a race to five points, a jumper from Ant and a 3-pointer from Scottie Barnes sandwiched a Wemby 3-pointer to give Team Stars the win.

SCOTTIE BARNES WINS IT FOR USA STARS.

USA STARS VS. USA STRIPES COMING UP NEXT ON NBC & PEACOCK 🍿

Tap to watch: https://t.co/UOPqgMKbFupic.twitter.com/IokO8Nhvg0

— NBA (@NBA) February 15, 2026

Jamal Murray, in his first All-Star appearance, finished 0-6 and was a -14 in a game his team lost by two.

Team Stars stayed on the court as a result of the win to play Team Stripes and LeBron in the second game.

Kevin Durant opened the game with a three off a LeBron assist before LeBron added one of his own minutes later. The surest sign of an increased effort level was LeBron being fouled on an attempted offensive rebound putback.

Led by Kawhi Leonard and Jaylen Brown, Team Stripes built up a lead. While Team Stars closed it to two points in the final minutes, a 3-pointer from Donovan Mitchell added some more space between the sides and a LeBron logo three made it a six-point lead.

However, a couple of quick baskets preceded a steal and a pull-up 3-pointer in transition from Ant, giving Team Stars the lead with under 20 seconds left. With the game on the line, Team Stripes moved the ball around with De’Aaron Fox splashing home an open three at the buzzer.

De’Aaron Fox with the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to win it for Stripes over Stars, 42-40. pic.twitter.com/3qpRgkJo77

— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) February 15, 2026

Team Stripes stayed on the floor for the final game of the round robin format to take on Team World. Luka did not start or play in the game.

Kawhi raced out of the gate with eight of the first 10 points in a back-and-forth game. Wemby took matters into his own hands to give Team World a lead. Jalen Brunson scored eight points in a hurry to try to answer Wemby’s surge.

With a Laker on the team across from him, Murray actually played like an All-Star this game, scoring eight points early as Team World opened up a 27-20 lead.

Out of a timeout, Kawhi was unconscious, hitting three straight threes to tie the game before a baseline jumper for 11 straight points to give Team Stripes the lead.

KAWHI: IN TAKEOVER MODE 🤯

11 STRAIGHT POINTS TO GIVE USA STRIPES THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/AxgwjtRqXW

— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2026

Team World came back into the game to tie it on a free throw. Kawhi threw down a dunk on one end before Wemby hit a three in response. Norman Powell made it a three-point lead before an and-one by Kawhi tied it again.

A LeBron putback dunk with 30 seconds remaining put Team Stripes up, but two Wemby freebies tied it again. Kawhi put his final stamp on the game with a stepback three over Wemby to put Team Stripes up three with 3.5 seconds left.

KAWHI LEONARD FOR 31 POINTS 😳

USA STRIPES IS MOVING ON TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME VS. USA STARS!! pic.twitter.com/8tx2wvG6dA

— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2026

Wemby had an open look to tie the game at the buzzer but missed, eliminating Team World from the competition and setting up a Team Stripes and Team Stars final.

Playing in their third straight game, Team Stripes fell behind 12-1 in the opening minutes, forcing a timeout. After missing their first 10 shots, LeBron finally converted on a fastbreak dunk for Team Stripes’ first field goal.

LeBron and Brunson then hit 3-pointers, but Jalen Duren was punishing Team Stripes and their lack of centers while Ant took over with eight-straight points, making it 26-9 and forcing another timeout.

Team Stars’ run eventually reached 15-0 as the game was never close, as they won going away, 47-21. Anthony Edwards was named the MVP.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

The NBA trade deadline came and went, with Giannis Antetokounmpo still a member of the Bucks.

The two-time league MVP is in Los Angeles for All-Star weekend, albeit not playing in the first-time “USA vs. the World” format on Sunday due to the right calf injury that has sidelined him since Jan. 23.

In an interview with ESPN ahead of the All-Star showcase, the 31-year-old Antetokounmpo restated his commitment to Milwaukee for the rest of this season with an eye on adding another championship to the one he won in 2021.

“As of today, I’m committed to the Milwaukee Bucks,” Antetokounmpo said in a sitdown with ESPN’s Malika Andrews. “I’m committed to the people that I work with, my teammates, the coaching staff, coach Doc [Rivers] and [GM] Jon [Horst] in the front office.

“What I’ve said from the beginning of this year is that, out of my mouth and the way I’ve carried myself, you will never hear me say I don’t want to be a Milwaukee Buck.”

Of course, multiple reports suggested otherwise before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, with ESPN insider Shams Charania reporting that the nine-time All-Star has been preparing to leave Milwaukee “for months,” either before the deadline or in the offseason.

“Legends don’t chase. They attract,” Antetokounmpo wrote in a social media post following the trade deadline.

The Bucks entered the break with a disappointing record of 23-30 and in 12th place in the East — but just 1.5 games behind the Hawks for the final spot in the 7-10 play-in tournament.

“Growing up, you dream, ‘Oh, what if I played for the Knicks, Madison Square Garden? What if I get drafted by the Lakers and I’m teammates with Kobe [Bryant]? What if I go play for the Cavs and LeBron [James] passes me the ball?'” Antetokounmpo said during the ESPN interview. “But this is my team, and I love it.”

It was the perfect setting for LeBron James to make the big announcement. 

While every other NBA All-Star spoke to the media Saturday, James spoke Sunday, something he has done four straight years. But this time, the league’s signature event was in Los Angeles, where he has played the last eight seasons for the Lakers. 

James loves a good narrative. All eyes were on him. Social media was abuzz. 

Would this be the moment we found out if one of the greatest athletes of all time was retiring or returning for a historic 24th season?

No such luck.

When James was asked if he knew what he’s going to do, he kicked the can. 

“I want to live,” James said. “When I know, you guys will know. I don’t know. I have no idea. I just want to live. That’s all.”

James, who will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, has 28 regular-season games left to figure out his future. 

Will he return to the Lakers? Will he tie a bow on his career by joining the Cavaliers, the team that drafted him as an 18-year-old in 2003? Will he team up with Steph Curry, whom he has singled out as the one player he’d most love to play alongside? 

Or will he hang up his jersey for good?

As the Lakers make a playoff push, there’s a shadow hanging over them in the form of a question mark. If James retires, it would be the end of an era. It would mean we’d no longer get to watch arguably the greatest player of all time.

LeBron James and basketball have been synonymous for 23 years. 

He’s still the biggest of stars. He was the Olympics MVP in 2024. He was sixth in NBA MVP voting last season. He became the oldest player in league history to record a triple-double Thursday against the Mavs at age 41. 

Sure, James’ stats are down a bit this season after he missed the first 14 games because of sciatica. But we’re not seeing the fading of a star. If James retired, it would be the disappearance of a star.   

James is steeling himself for things to come to an end.  

He teared up while watching a tribute video in Cleveland. He regularly talks about how special it is to share a locker room with his son, Bronny. He’s taking everything in as though it were the last time. 

Sometimes he’s in the mood to talk about where his head is at. Sometimes he’s not. On Sunday, it was the latter. 

When asked if he’s still interested in owning an NBA team with the league on the verge of a possible expansion, he was noncommittal. 

“There’s a lot of things that I have on the table that I could tap into if I want to, that being one of them,” he said. 

When asked if he has thought about what he wants the rest of his life to look like after he stops playing, he didn’t talk about work. 

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“No, I think what I want to do at 45, 50 and 55 will be a lot of creating great vibes and fun with my family and my friends,” he said. 

Three years ago during his All-Star media availability, he called the stretch run “the 23 most important regular-season games of my career.” When asked if he felt a similar urgency now considering his future is unknown, he denied that his impending decision colors anything. 

“No. We’re gearing up toward the postseason,” he said. “It has nothing to do with that. Same motivation. Same mind factor. We’ve gotten past the marathon, and the sprint is about to start. I think everybody understands that.”

As for this season, James said everything is going to come down to the Lakers’ health. He, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have only played 10 games together. Meanwhile, the team added new pieces in Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia over the summer, while trading for Luke Kennard earlier this month. 

When asked about the Lakers’ potential to contend, he acknowledged he didn’t know their ceiling. 

“It’s too hard to really say what we’re capable of,” he said. “I know that when we’ve played some of our best basketball of the season, we’ve looked very good. On the other side, when we’ve been terrible, we’ve looked disgusting.”

On Sunday, it was clear James wanted to focus on the present. 

He wanted to enjoy sharing the court with Curry and Kevin Durant. He wanted to take in what could possibly be his final All-Star Game. 

He didn’t want to talk. 

As he said, he wanted to live. 

The NBA All-Star Game is known for bringing together the most talented and notable players from around the league.

The game also attracts celebrities and public figures from across the country to gather and enjoy basketball.

Former United States President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were among those in attendance for the event, sitting next to basketball legend Julius Erving.

The game features two American teams and a World team at the Intuit Dome on Sunday, Feb. 15.

Obama is a known basketball fan who embraced the game and his fandom while he was in office. He would share his predictions for the NBA Finals or fill out a bracket for the NCAA college basketball tournament.

More: Why is there a new NBA All-Star game format? Rules, rosters explained

“There’s a lot of concern about the All-Star Game and not seeing effort (from the players),” Obama said during an interview with analyst Reggie Miller on the NBC broadcast. “Today we are seeing (that effort). Anytime you get Americans vs. International (teams), they want to bring it.”

The NBA has experimented with different formats for the All-Star Game in recent years. All three teams will play each other in a small tournament before the two teams meet in the championship game.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Barack, Michelle Obama attend NBA All-Star Game 2026

NEW YORK (AP) — Providence forward Duncan Powell was suspended two additional games by the Big East on Sunday, meaning he will miss three games for his flagrant foul that sparked a fight in a game against St. John's.

Powell already faced an automatic one-game ban for fighting by NCAA rules, but the conference tacked on an additional penalty stemming from the 17th-ranked Red Storm's 79-69 victory Saturday that featured seven ejections.

It started when Powell flagrantly fouled Bryce Hopkins — who played three seasons in Providence — from behind as he went up for a fast-break layup. Powell was automatically ejected for the flagrant 2 foul.

“Providence College holds its student-athletes and coaches to the highest standards,” athletic director Steve Napolillo said. “We fully support the suspension that the Big East has issued to Duncan Powell. His actions were unacceptable and do not reflect the values, discipline, or sportsmanship expected of anyone representing Providence College.”

The Big East said in its ruling that officials determined that Powell “engaged in additional combative actions that constituted a fighting act subsequent to the flagrant foul.”

He will sit out next Saturday at DePaul, followed by a Feb. 24 home game against Xavier and a game at Creighton on Feb. 28.

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Raegan Beers scored 21 points and Payton Verhulst added 17 to help No. 10 Oklahoma beat 23rd-ranked Alabama 79-71 on Sunday.

Oklahoma led by double digits on three separate occasions, but each time Alabama cut the deficit down to four points or less.

The Sooners (19-6, 7-5 SEC) rallied behind freshman Aaliyah Chavez’s nine points in the fourth quarter to win the game, she finished with 15 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Oklahoma had its struggles offensively- — missing five of its first six shots from the field and only shooting 23% from 3-point range and 58% from the free throw line for the game. Turnovers were also an issue with 19 which resulted in 15 Alabama points.

Alabama (20-6, 6-6) was led by Ta’Mia Scott’s 17 points and 11 apiece by Jessica Timmons and Ace Austin.

The Crimson Tide featured a more balanced scoring attack with six players with at least eight points, but couldn’t hold off the Sooners down the stretch to secure a second win over a top 10 team this season.

Alabama rallied to take a 57-54 lead in the third quarter by using an 18-4 run — its first advantage since early in the opening quarter. However the Crimson Tide only made three of 15 shots the rest of the way and were outscored 21-11 in the final quarter.

Oklahoma had 14 offensive rebounds which led to 19 second chance points and was plus-20 on the boards for the game.

Up next

Oklahoma travels to Georgia on Thursday.

Alabama hosts No. 3 South Carolina on Thursday.

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Tyler Reddick wins the Daytona 500 in a car owned by Michael Jordan.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kiki Rice had 17 points and nine rebounds, Lauren Betts added 16 points and 14 rebounds, and No. 2 UCLA beat Indiana 92-48 on Sunday to extend its win streak to 19 games.

UCLA (25-1, 15-0 Big Ten), which is unbeaten since a 76-65 loss to No. 4 Texas on Nov. 26 at the Players Era Championship, has the third-longest active win streak in the nation behind North Dakota State (21 straight) and UConn (43).

Betts had her 10th double-double this season and the 43rd in her career. Charlisse Leger-Walker and Gianna Kneepkens had 12 points apiece for the Bruins and Gabriela Jaquez scored 11. Sienna Betts and Lena Bilic each had 10 points.

Maya Makalusky led Indiana (14-13, 3-12) with 13 points. Lenee Beaumont added 11 points on 4-of-14 shooting and Nevaeh Caffey scored 10. Shay Ciezki, the Big Ten’s leading scorer who went into the game averaging 24.0 points (No. 5 nationally), left the game due to an apparent ankle injury late in the first quarter and did not return.

The Hoosiers shot a season-low 31% (15 of 48) from the field, 4 of 20 (20%) from 3-point range, and tied their season low for points in a game. Indiana went into the game shooting 47.9% this season, which ranked 14th nationally.

UCLA grabbed a season-high 23 offensive boards, outrebounded the Hoosiers 51-24 overall, and outscored them 28-2 in second-chance points. The Bruins committed just four turnovers and forced 13 by Indiana, which they converted into 25 points.

Up next

UCLA: Hosts No. 25 Washington on Thursday.

Indiana: Hosts Oregon next Sunday.

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The 75th NBA All-Star Game will get underway on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET from the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers. Returning to NBC for the first time in decades and also streaming on Peacock, this year’s All-Star Game will feature a round-robin tournament with four 12-minute games between three teams: two with United States players and one made up of players from across the globe.

Of particular note for Sixers fans, Tyrese Maxey will be suiting up for the “USA Stars” squad. Maxey, along with the likes of Cade Cunningham, Devin Booker and others, will play in the first game of the day against the World team.

The NBA has caught some flak for how its All-Star Saturday events went about, myself included, given its early start time, a lukewarm at best Slam Dunk Contest and just a general sense of “eh” about it all. The game’s biggest and brightest stars, however, have the opportunity to change the narrative of the weekend overall with a strong showing during this little All-Star tourney. I hope they do! It would be great for both the fans and the league.

As the basketball action unfolds, come chat in our open thread and talk about Maxey, the Sixers and anything hoops related (or unrelated, I guess). Soak it up given that the Sixers as a whole won’t return to the court until this upcoming Thursday when they host the Atlanta Hawks.

NBA All-Star Sunday Night

Sunday, February 15, 2026

Time: 4pm CST

Location: Intuit Dome – Inglewood, California

TV: NBA – Peacock

Discuss the new All-Star format here!

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.

First bucket of the game goes to @ItsAJLawson 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZmR2CjMy0m

— Raptors 905 (@Raptors905) February 15, 2026

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.  

ALIJAH FOR 3 👌👌👌 pic.twitter.com/0lTJ8a9OFS

— Raptors 905 (@Raptors905) February 15, 2026

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. 

Follow AJ & ALIJAH at the @nbagleague NEXT UP GAME 🤳🏀 pic.twitter.com/9VvBRep9JH

— Raptors 905 (@Raptors905) February 15, 2026

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:

all-star range 🎯#ItStartsHerepic.twitter.com/PtRiznU5To

— Salt Lake City Stars (@slcstars) February 15, 2026

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.

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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.

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