FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Marta Suarez and Clara Silva both finished with 14 points to help No. 17 TCU beat No. 19 West Virginia 59-50 on Sunday night and take over the top spot in the Big 12 Conference.
TCU (23-4, 11-3), which won the regular-season and conference tournament titles last season, is tied with No. 12 Baylor, but the Horned Frogs have the tiebreaker advantage after beating the Bears 83-67 before taking care of the Mountaineers. Baylor visits TCU to close out the regular season on March 1.
TCU has won 40 straight games at Schollmaier Arena, tying No. 4 Texas for the longest active streak. West Virginia was the last team to win there, beating the Frogs 77-52 two years ago.
Suarez made 6 of 10 shots with two 3-pointers and Silva sank 7 of 12 shots with eight rebounds and two blocks. Olivia Miles pitched in with 12 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Taylor Bigby added 10 points and four assists as the starters did all the scoring.
Gia Cooke had 18 points to top the Mountaineers (21-6, 11-4), who lost 51-50 to TCU at home in January. Sydney Shaw hit three 3-pointers and scored 12. West Virginia had won four straight and seven of eight entering play.
Cooke and Shaw sank back-to-back 3-pointers and West Virginia used an 8-0 run over the final three minutes of the first quarter to take a 14-11 lead.
Cooke had nine points by halftime and the Mountaineers again outscored the Horned Frogs 14-11 for a six-point lead.
TCU made only 1 of 8 from distance in the first half, but Hunter hit two 3-pointers in the first five minutes of the third quarter and Suarez and Bigby both sank one in a 20-2 run that put the Horned Frogs ahead 42-30. TCU made its first nine shots in the period to build a 46-39 lead heading to the fourth.
The Mountaineers cut the dificit to six on four occasions over the final 10 minutes but got no closer.
INGLEWOOD, CA — The 2026 NBA All-Star Game is officially a wrap.
An entertaining showcase on Sunday, Feb. 15 resulted in a victory for Team Stars — a squad composed of mostly younger U.S.-born players — reinvigorated the event, which has faced repeated criticism over a lack of competitive play.
In the All-Star Game championship, Team Stars defeated Team Stripes, which mostly featured a collection of more experienced veterans like LeBron James of the Lakers, Kevin Durant of the Rockets and Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards won the Kobe Bryant Trophy, given to the All-Star Game's Most Valuable Player.
Here are the winners and losers from the 2026 NBA All-Star Game:
WINNERS
The new format
It wasn’t perfect, but the “U.S. vs. World” format the NBA deployed for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game was a marked improvement over previous iterations of the event. Several players said after the game that it increased motivation and incentive and it helped inject competition into an event that had desperately lacked it.
In essence, the four, 12-minute games converted each contest into its own fourth quarter, ramping up the drama, particularly inside the final minutes. The first three games were decided on the last shot, with two game-winners. The first game went into overtime.
Yet, while the format does deserve ample credit, the real champions were the players who invested their competitive energy into the exhibition.
Anthony Edwards
During All-Star media day on Saturday, Feb. 14, Edwards had more or less shrugged when asked about the lack of competitive behavior in NBA All-Star Games. Apparently, all it took was seeing a fellow future face of the league, Victor Wembanyama, going hard for him to ramp it up.
Edwards scored 32 points across the three games he played and won his first career All-Star Most Valuable Player award.
Victor Wembanyama
He was on the losing side, with Team World being eliminated before the championship game, but Wembanyama was widely seen as the catalyst to inspire more invested, competitive play. That became obvious from the start, as Wembanyama won the tip-off and then slashed to the basket, sealing off Cade Cunningham (Team Stars) for a quick dunk six seconds into the event. It generated instant attention.
“He set the tone, man, and it woke me up,” Edwards told reporters after the game. “For sure.”
Wembanyama played extremely well, scoring 33 points on 10-of-13 shooting across two games. He was also visibly upset after Team World lost the first game of the night in overtime, indicating that the league — and All-Star — is in good hands with him as a leader.
Kawhi Leonard
Playing in front of his home fans, Leonard popped off for Team Stripes in Game 3, scoring 31 of the team’s 48 points in the game — or 64.6%. Leonard drew MVP chants from the crowd and at one point scored 11 consecutive points, willing his team to win. The game-winning, stepback 3 over Karl-Anthony Towns represented his greatness in the game.
Think of it this way: scoring 31 points in an NBA game is elite. Doing it in what’s essentially a 12-minute quarter, against the world’s best players, is a singular achievement.
Adam Silver
As Silver, the NBA commissioner, has taken criticism recently over his handling of several off-court scandals and his management of the NBA All-Star Game, having the jewel of the weekend succeed is a massively positive step.
There is still work to be done, especially with the Slam Dunk Contest, but there were plenty of fans wondering if the NBA should do away entirely with the All-Star Game. If this is what fans will get, however, the move should be to continue to refine and improve the product.
“Oh, most definitely,” 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey, a member of Team Stars, told reporters when asked if the format could set the tone for future All-Star Games. “I think if you have these same type of guys in it, these guys compete.”
LOSERS
Nikola Jokić and Luka Dončić
They are two of the biggest stars in basketball, but they were the lone available players for Team World to record DNP (did-not-play) designations. Granted, both players have been dealing with injury concerns so it made sense to be cautious. But they are also notorious for loafing through All-Star Games. More than anything, however, having two players on a nine-player team sit out put an unfair burden on the Team World stars who were available.
Team Stripes runs out of gas
In what was a compelling matchup of younger domestic stars versus grizzled veterans, it was the uncs and old heads who ran out of steam. Team Stripes went brutally cold in the championship game, missing its first 8 shot attempts of the contest before starting just 3-of-16 (18.8%).
It probably didn’t help that Team Stripes had to play consecutive games with little rest.
“Yeah, we can make that excuse,” Durant joked after the game. “We can go ahead and make that excuse.”
PHOENIX — No translation was required for Hyeseong Kim’s appraisal of Roki Sasaki’s new slider.
“Good,” Kim said in English.
Good enough for the Korean infielder to swing at the pitch and miss in a live batting practice session against Sasaki on Saturday.
Roki Sasaki participates in a throwing drill during spring training workouts at Camelback Ranch. Getty Images
Project Roki is underway at Camelback Ranch, the ninth-inning sensation of the Dodgers’ most recent World Series run working to solidify a place in the team’s rotation.
Sasaki is armed with two weapons that made him a dominant pitcher in Japan, as well as the country’s most anticipated baseball export since Shohei Ohtani: a 100-mph fastball and Wiffle-ball-like forkball.
Last year, more than 83% of pitches he threw were either fastballs or forkballs. Finding success as a major league starter will be borderline impossible with just two effective pitches, which is why the 24-year-old Sasaki is attempting to incorporate into his arsenal a slider or cutter, or maybe both.
Sasaki said he junked the slower variation of the slider he threw last season, which was not only hittable but also contributed to shoulder problems that sidelined him for four months. He is now experimenting with a faster version of the pitch he threw earlier in his career in Japan, with a spiral spin.
“I thought the slider I threw last year wasn’t very good,” Sasaki said in Japanese. “In reality, the results weren’t very good, either.”
Before he was placed on the injured list last year, Sasaki made eight starts in which he posted a 4.72 ERA.
The swing-and-miss by Kim on Saturday was a positive sign, but Sasaki said he still doesn’t have a clear vision for a pitch that will move away from right-handed hitters, whether it will be a slider or a cutter or something in between. Sasaki said he also plans to mix in a two-seamer.
By adding a slider or cutter and a two-seamer that travels in the opposite direction, Sasaki said, “I think it will bring my fastball and forkball to life.”
Said Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes: “If he’s executing the fastball and split the way he’s capable of, with what he’s done in the past, it’s an amazing foundation. Anything on top of that is just going to make things more challenging for opposing hitters.”
Sasaki downplayed the magnitude of the changes he’s making, saying he started working on the new pitches last year. Whatever he ends up adding to his pitch mix, comfort will be a major priority.
“As much as possible, I don’t want it to affect my current pitching motion,” he said.
Roki Sasaki walks on the field during spring training workouts at Camelback Ranch. Getty Images
Sasaki showed why that was important to him as he pitched to Kim and minor-league catcher Seby Zavala. His fastball touched 98.6 mph.
Reflecting on his first season with the Dodgers last year, Sasaki said, “It wasn’t so much about coming to the major leagues and more about me stumbling.”
He believes that once he starts competing at this level without any physical impairments, he should be able to see the problems he has to remedy in order to excel.
“My goal is to continue pitching so that I can see those challenges,” Sasaki said.
Returning in the final week of the regular season as a reliever and enjoying success as a closer in the playoffs last year was helpful, Sasaki said.
“Rather than finish at the end of the spring (when I was placed on the injured list), it was obviously better to finish in a good way in the postseason,” he said. “It’s now easier to imagine something good. I was able to see something good, so in that sense, I think I’m able to pitch a little more relaxed.”
Roki Sasaki reacts to an out at first thrown by Mookie Betts against the Milwaukee Brewers. Getty Images
Sasaki is also drawing inspiration from a visit he made in the winter.
Back in Japan in December, Sasaki held a baseball clinic for 170 elementary school students in the coastal town of Suzu, which was devastated by an earthquake in 2024. He said he reached out to the city in the middle of last season to make arrangements. He ran with the children, watched them play catch and answered their questions. Before they left, he handed each of them an autographed baseball.
Sasaki could relate to the children, as his own life was shaped by a major earthquake. When he was 9, his childhood home in Rikuzentakata was swept into the ocean by a tsunami. He lost his father and a set of grandparents in the disaster.
“That was my first time participating in a baseball clinic,” Sasaki said. “It’s an experience you don’t usually have. I received different kinds of strength from the children.”
He’s now channeling that into a new arsenal, a new season and potentially a new identity as a pitcher.
SEATTLE (AP) — Sayvia Sellers scored 17 points to help No. 25 Washington beat Oregon 51-43 on Sunday night.
Sellers made 6 of 16 shots with three 3-pointers for the Huskies (19-7, 9-6 Big Ten Conference). Avery Howell pitched in with nine points and nine rebounds.
Sarah Rambus scored 12 off the bench on 5-for-7 shooting to pace the Ducks (18-9, 6-8), who have lost two straight following a four-game winning streak.
Sellers hit two 3-pointers and scored eight in the first five minutes as Washington jumped out to a 13-1 lead. Sellers added another 3-pointer and the Huskies led 22-9 after one quarter.
Mia Jacobs' three-point play capped a 15-0 run for Oregon and the Ducks rallied to take a 28-27 into halftime. Washington did not score after Elle Ladine sank a jumper to give the Huskies a 14-point lead with 8:29 left in the quarter.
Howell and Sellers had back-to-back baskets to begin the second half and Washington moved back in front. The lead changed hands three times before Sellers and Howell had the final two baskets of the quarter for a 37-34 advantage.
Freshman Brynn McGaughy had a three-point play to begin the final period for a six-point lead and the Huskies stayed in front from there. Sarah Rambus scored in the paint to cut the deficit to two before the Ducks went scoreless over the final 3:47.
Washington shot 38.3% overall and made 6 of 19 from beyond the arc. Oregon shot 30.9% overall and missed 9 of 10 from distance.
Michelle and Barack Obama watching the 75th NBA All-Star Game.
The basketball was elite. The building was electric. But before a single jumper fell inside the $2 billion palace known as Intuit Dome, the loudest roar of the day belonged to two people who weren’t in uniform.
When Barack Obama and Michelle Obama appeared on the video board before tipoff of the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, the crowd cheered and applauded. Not polite applause. Not celebrity courtesy claps. A full-throated ovation that reminded everyone this league has always been bigger than basketball.
The Obamas, seated next to Hall of Famer Julius Erving, felt like the center of a night built on spectacle. During an NBC interview with Reggie Miller, the former president addressed the elephant that has hovered over All-Star Weekend in recent years — effort. “Anytime you get Americans vs. International, they want to bring it,” he said. And for once, he was right. The pride between all three teams was palpable.
Michelle and Barack Obama watching the 75th NBA All-Star Game. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sat a few rows away, British royalty meeting hardwood royalty.
The NBA legends were everywhere. Magic Johnson. Allen Iverson. Oscar Robertson. Pau Gasol. Dwyane Wade. Vince Carter. Tracy McGrady. Carmelo Anthony. The past and present colliding under one roof as current stars like Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Damian Lillard soaked in the moment.
Magic Johnson on the red carpet before the 75th NBA All Star Game. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Even the entertainment world felt courtside-ready: Jennifer Hudson, Ludacris, Glorilla, Tyla, Brandy, Busta Rhymes, Anthony Anderson, Shaboozey, Charlie Puth, Gayle King, Kelly Rowland, Keegan Michael Key, Teyana Taylor, John Tesh, 2 Chainz, Sterling K. Brown, Queen Latifah, Simu Liu, Spike Lee and Vin Diesel turned the sideline into a living mood board of American pop culture.
Teyana Taylor, Queen Latifah, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are seen attending the 75th NBA All-Star Game. Getty Images
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Rams head coach Sean McVay was there with his wife, as were other NFL stars like Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown and former Chargers WR Keenan Allen.
That’s the thing about the NBA All-Star Game. It isn’t just a basketball exhibition. It’s a census of influence. Music, politics, fashion, film, sport — all orbiting around a leather ball and a hardwood stage in Inglewood.
California Post Senior Sports Reporter Edward Lewis contributed to this story.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 14: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks at a press conference during 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend at Intuit Dome on February 14, 2026 in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the GettyImages License Agreement. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 NBA All-Star Game was an unquestioned success. The convoluted USA vs. the World format made the game competitive for three of the four quarters, which hasn’t happened in at least three decades. Watching the best players in the world participate in a game that somewhat resembled basketball was awesome. For once, the product actually lived up to the billing
This, however, isn’t the first time an innovation format worked in its initial go-around. The 2018 version, after they introduced team captains, had an exciting ending. And the 2020 game that used the Elam ending was one of the best finishes in recent memory.
The league hasn’t struggled to find new formats that work. The issue has been making them do so for more than just one season. Each of the previous changes led to the same issues the following year, which inevitably caused additional alterations.
Like most of the issues the NBA has been trying to tackle under Adam Silver, they’re trying to fix it by not addressing the actual problem.
The All-Star Game format wasn’t broken on its own. There’s a reason basketball is played under the same rules around the world. The real issue was a lack of effort from the players. And there’s no way to really legislate around that with format changes.
The NBA has tried to fix other issues in similar heavy-handed ways.
They wanted to increase the competitiveness of games down the stretch, so they made up the Play-In Tournament. They wanted to make games more meaningful at the beginning of the season, so they created the NBA Cup. They wanted to end load management, so they instituted a 65-game minimum requirement for awards. They wanted to limit tanking, so they flattened the lottery odds and may make further changes.
These innovations are all somewhat justified on their own, but none of them have meaningfully addressed the actual long-term issues.
The problem with playoff seeding not mattering and the start of the season dragging is the fact that too many teams make the playoffs. If you wanted the regular season to really mean something, you’d cut the number of playoff participants to four in each conference. Although, that wouldn’t seriously be discussed since the league would never get rid of an entire playoff round.
Load management is needed because the regular season is too long, given how fast the game is played. But the league isn’t going to attack either of those issues. They don’t want to shorten the season, and they aren’t going to move to a less offense-friendly style of play. So instead, we have the best player — Nikola Jokic — ineligible for regular-season awards.
And lastly, there’s nothing you can do to keep teams from being bad. Making it harder for them to improve through the draft is just going to keep them where they are, which encourages more teams to tank, instead of fewer.
The league isn’t interested in actually fixing the issues that they see within their product. Instead, they’re content to add band-aid solutions that help alleviate some of the symptoms, but do little to solve the core problem.
And every time you make one of these alterations, you’re signaling to everyone that this thing is broken. Nobody proposes drastic changes to something that is working fine.
In the end, the NBA is left waving giant red flags at known problems, while also not meaningfully confronting any of the root issues. This creates an environment where those paid to comment on the league spend most of their energy talking about what’s wrong and proposing narrow-minded solutions, instead of discussing what’s happening on the court.
The NFL has many of the same problems as the NBA, they just don’t seem to care. Teams tank down the stretch for draft position, some of their weekly on-field offerings are downright awful (I’m looking at you, Thursday Night Football), and the Pro Bowl is a complete joke.
But instead of drawing attention to those things, the NFL keeps rolling and highlights what is working.
When you create an environment that the NBA has, where it’s constantly talking about what’s wrong and trying to fix things that they really don’t have the financial incentive to solve, you only magnify the issues.
If they merely admitted that the All-Star Game was never great and just a glorified exhibition, you would’ve saved yourself from the annual negative press that comes after another disappointing weekend. If you just accepted that the playoffs were really what’s important — and teams should do whatever they can to position themselves best for them — then you’d have the ability to celebrate those three months. And if you just came to terms with bad teams existing and created a system that allowed them to get better, you wouldn’t have the same perennial losers at the bottom of the league year after year.
Or if you want to change these things, actually do so.
Yes, this All-Star Game was a success, but recent history tells us it won’t be next season. And until the league is merely okay with this event being the same mediocre product it’s always been for anyone over the age of 18, it’s going to keep being stuck in this loop of inviting criticism and fixes, without being interested in truly solving the root problems. Which is where the association has been under Silver’s entire tenure.
No real fixes. Just temporary solutions that frustrate everyone eventually.
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State fired basketball coach Jerome Tang on Sunday night, four days after many Wildcats fans showed up with bags over their heads for a home blowout.
“This was a decision that was made in the best interest of our university and men’s basketball program,” Taylor said. “Recent public comments and conduct, in addition to the program’s overall direction, have not aligned with K-State’s standards for supporting student-athletes and representing the university. We wish Coach Tang and his family all the best moving forward.”
The school said an interim head coach will be announced soon, and that a national search for a replacement has started.
“I am deeply disappointed with the university’s decision and strongly disagree with the characterization of my termination,” Tang told ESPN in a statement. “I have always acted with integrity and faithfully fulfilled my responsibilities as head coach.”
“This was embarrassing,” Tang said after that game. “These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform. There will be very few of them in it next year. I’m embarrassed for the university, I’m embarrassed for our fans, our student section. It is just ridiculous. We’ve got practice at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning, and we will get this thing right. I have no answer and no words.”
Kansas State (10-15, 1-11 Big 12) fell 78-64 on Saturday at No. 3 Houston, the Wildcats' sixth straight loss. In four seasons at the school, the 59-year-old Tang was 71-57 overall and 29-39 in the conference. He led the Wildcats to a 26-10 mark in his first season.
The Wildcats' next game is Tuesday night at home against Baylor, where Tang was an assistant coach for 19 seasons with Scott Drew, including the Bears’ national title in 2021.
INGLEWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 15: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the USA Stars Team dribbles the ball during the game against World Team during the 75th NBA All-Star Game as part of the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend on Sunday, February 15, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
NBA All-Star Weekend festivities wrapped up with the round robin tournament. Sixers All-Star Tyrese Maxey competed for Team USA Stars.
Each matchup was a 12-minute game. In the first matchup Team USA Stars took on Team World in what was a barn burner.
Team USA Stars was carried by Anthony Edwards, who poured in 13 points, including a clutch three that sent the game to overtime.
Team World was led by Victor Wembanyama, who went for 14 points on 4-for-5 shooting
Raptors star Scottie Barnes hit the game-winning three pointers in the first to five overtime period to lift the Team USA Stars to a 37-36 victory.
In the third game Team World took on Team Stripes.
Kawhi Leonard stole the show going for a loud 31 points in the 12-minute period. Kawhi put on an absolute clinic in ball-handling and shot-making, knocking down 11-for-13 shots from the field including 6-for-7 from beyond the arc. The biggest of them all being an iso three over Karl-Anthony Towns on the Stripes’ final possession which would wind up being the difference.
The World team was once again led by Wembanyama, who went for 19 points on 6-for-8 shooting. Wembanyama’s last second three-pointer hit off iron to give the Stripes the victory.
The Stripes win set up the championship final between the Stars and Stripes.
The Championship matchup had the younger Team USA Stars jump out to an early commanding lead at 26-9 halfway through the period. Led by none other than Tyrese Maxey, they stretched the lead to 33-11
The Stripes could not get anything to fall going as they shot an abysmal 8-for-31 from the floor and 4-for-19 from three.
The Stars had a balanced attack led Maxey who finished the game with nine points.
Team USA Stars win the All-Star round robin 47-21.
In a span of 365 days, his role has become much less certain.
“This is baseball, a lot of things can happen,” Domínguez said Sunday. “At the end of the day, depending on the situation, they got to do what’s best for the team. Whatever decision they make, I’ll be ready for it.”
The reality is that it would take just one injury from the projected starting outfield of Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham and Aaron Judge, or to DH Giancarlo Stanton, for Domínguez to be thrust back into the picture.
Jasson Domínguez makes a catch during the Yankees’ spring training workout Feb. 15. Charles Wenzelberg
The same goes for Spencer Jones, the top Yankees outfield prospect, whose path to the big leagues is currently blocked.
But in the meantime, entering the first full-squad workout Monday, the 23-year-old Domínguez may be fighting an uphill battle to actually break camp with the big league club.
“That’s one thing I can’t control,” he said. “I don’t make the decisions. But I’m trying to do my best to get the best results that I can get. That’s what I’m focused on right now.”
General manager Brian Cashman acknowledged Friday that it would be in Domínguez’s best interest to be playing every day, which is likely only to happen at Triple-A barring an injury.
After playing an everyday role for the Yankees during the first few months of last season, Domínguez began to get squeezed out of playing time down the stretch once they were fully healthy and in the playoff chase.
Since then, the Yankees have only become more financially invested in the two outfielders in Domínguez’s way, Bellinger (who re-signed on a five-year, $162.5 million contract) and Grisham (who accepted the $22.025 million qualifying offer).
“First and foremost, JD’s a really good player that had a good season for a 22-year-old in his first full year,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He gained a lot of valuable experience. We think there’s a lot more in there, too. I think he has a chance to be an outstanding player. We’ll let things shake out. We have a long way to go between now and Opening Day. The biggest thing is he’s here to work, here to get better. When decisions come our way, we’ll make them the best we can.”
Jasson Domínguez is pictured during the Yankees’ spring training workout Feb. 15. Charles Wenzelberg
The best thing that Domínguez can do this spring is force the Yankees into a difficult decision, which could happen if he shows he has made gains in two clear areas: defensively in left field and offensively from the right side of the plate.
The switch-hitter struggled with the former, recording minus-seven defensive runs saved after a rocky transition from center to left, and the latter, his OPS nearly 200 points lower from the right side compared to the left.
Improving at both was an offseason focus for Domínguez, who played 11 games in the Dominican Winter League and now will have another proving ground this spring to show how much progress he has actually made.
He is coming off a season in which he had 429 big league plate appearances (hitting .257 with a .719 OPS and 23 steals), but will have to fight for every one he gets in 2026.
“The reality is we have two guys [Domínguez and Jones] that we think are very capable of being really good major league players,” said Boone, who added he might get Domínguez some work in center field as well. “In Jasson’s case, he’s already proven that to some degree. So this spring’s important for them to get regular playing time and continue to hone their craft.”
Spencer Jones looks to make a catch during the Yankees’ spring training workout Feb. 15. Charles Wenzelberg
Jones, who will turn 25 in May, put himself on the doorstep of the big leagues with a strong season last year, finishing it at Triple-A.
The center fielder will likely be headed back there to start 2026, barring a surprise, but has the chance to make even more noise this spring while waiting for his shot.
“In my mind, this is the best organization to play for,” Jones said. “If the opportunities come later, I think it’s for good reason in that we’re trying to help the team win the World Series.”
After missing the last four Lakers games with a hamstring injury, the guard suited up for Team World at Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood.
He only played in one of his team’s two games, and he logged just two points and two assists in five minutes and five seconds of floor time.
After missing the Lakers’ last four games, Luka Doncic returned to action at the NBA All-Star Game. NBAE via Getty Images
But, he told reporters after his squad bowed out of the tournament that his ailing leg held up well.
“It was good,” he said of the hamstring. “Obviously, I wanted to go out there; the fans voted me to be in this game so I wanted to be here, be a part of it a little bit. But it felt good.”
Doncic started Team World’s opening game against USA Stars alongside Victor Wembanyama, Deni Avdija, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
Each time he touched the ball, he was heckled by the pro-Clippers crowd. At one point, fans aimed “flopper” chants his way.
Luka Doncic only played in one of Team World’s two games at Intuit Dome on Sunday. NBAE via Getty Images
Doncic was unbothered, though, and looked like his usual self, dribbling with ease while smoothly navigating through defenses.
He never quite appeared to move at 100% pace, but there nonetheless were no apparent signs he was hurting.
After subbing out of Game 1, Doncic threw on a sweatsuit and never returned to game action. He warmed up prior to Team World’s second matchup of the day against USA Stripes and was seen attempting to make a half-court shot.
Luka Doncic scored two points and tallied two assists in his lone game Sunday. NBAE via Getty Images
When asked if his day on the court meant he’d be back for Los Angeles when it takes on the Clippers in its first post-All-Star break game on Friday, he didn’t quite commit to that just yet.
“We’ll see,” he said.
Doncic sustained his hamstring injury on Feb. 5, when the Lakers took on the 76ers at Crypto.com Arena.
He left the game in the first half and did not return. He went on to miss the Lakers’ ensuing contests against the Warriors, Thunder, Spurs and Mavericks.
With Doncic sidelined, the Lakers went 2-2.
The 26-year-old — whom LA acquired in a blockbuster trade last season — said earlier in the weekend he was “almost” ready for the Lakers’ game against his ex-Dallas team last Thursday, “but it wasn’t possible.”
In 42 games for the Lakers this season, Doncic has averaged 32.8 points, 8.6 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game.
Sunday’s All-Star Game marked Doncic’s first as a Laker, and he went on to call the experience “great.”
“Obviously, it was very busy,” he said. “But I was glad to do all this stuff.”
INGLEWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 15: Victor Wembanyama #1 of World Team dunks the ball during the game against the USA Stars Team during the 75th NBA All-Star Game as part of the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend on Sunday, February 15, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The NBA All-Star Game has not been great for a while. Over the last few years, the players haven’t taken it seriously, leading the league to implement bizarro changes like the Elam Ending or a round-robin tournament including the winner of the Rising Stars challenge. This year, it was a round-robin tournament with an emphasis on players from the U.S. vs. the World. The gimmick worked, leading to one of the best games in recent memory.
No gimmick alone can change the culture surrounding the game. It starts with the players, and on Sunday night, it started with one player who elevated the competition for everyone: Victor Wembanyama.
“Wemby set the tone,” said the game’s MVP, Anthony Edwards. “He came out playing hard.”
Wembanyama has talked the talk about trying hard in the All-Star Game. He backed it up with a Team World-leading performance in the opening game against “Team Stars,” which featured the younger generation of U.S. all-stars.
The San Antonio Spurs big man came out hot. He won the tip and immediately went to the other end for a dunk to kick off the game. It was the first highlight of a stellar 14-point, 6-rebound, and 3-block performance.
He followed that play up with a three, and then picked up two blocks on the other end. He was locked in playing defense, and Team World was running its offensive game through Wembanyama. A tough stretch of lazy defense and bad turnovers (ASG staples) allowed Team Stars to climb back into the game and make things competitive. In the winding seconds of the first game, Edwards hit a three-pointer to tie the game and send it to overtime.
The first team to score 5 points wins OT. Wembanyama hit a pick-and-pop three-pointer to put Team World up 3-2. Team Stars needed a three-pointer to win the game, and got one when Team World collapsed their defense, lacking the awareness to understand that a 2-pointer would keep them in the game. Scottie Barnes took advantage of the defensive mistake, knocking down a three-pointer to win the game. Wembanyama was not happy. Team Stars won 37-35.
Wembanyama wasn’t the only Spur in the All-Star Game. De’Aaron Fox replaced the injured Giannis Antetokounmpo for his second All-Star appearance. He played for Team Stripes, coached by San Antonio’s head coach, Mitch Johnson. The Stripes were made up of older players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Kawhi Leonard.
For a while, it looked like the Stripes would run away with the game, coming out determined and playing team basketball, which is rare for the ASG. Fox didn’t check in until the four-minute mark in the 12-minute game, but closed the game out with the other starters. Johnson must have wanted his clutch gene, and the decision paid off, as Fox knocked down the game-winning three-pointer to down the Stars 42-40.
Wemby and Team World took the court to face Fox and the Stripes in the third game. The World needed to win by 3 points to move on to the championship game. Wembanyama did everything he could to get them there, but he was outmatched by a familiar face, former-Spurs Kawhi Leonard.
Wembanyama had 19 points in the game, including two clutch three-pointers down the stretch. The World team simply couldn’t overcome Leonard, who had 31 points in the game, including 11-straight points to give the Stripes the lead mid-way through the game. The game was tied with 25 seconds to go, and Leonard abused a mismatch on the switch that left Karl-Anthony Towns guarding him. He nailed the three, leaving the World team 3 seconds to tie the game. Wembanyama got an open look on a clever inbounds play, but couldn’t convert the three-pointer, eliminating Team World from the tournament with a 48-45 loss to the Stripes. Wembanyama finished the entire ASG with 33 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
The Spurs still had a chance to come away winners, with Fox and Johnson facing off against Team Stars in the championship game. Team Stripes came out of the game slowly, looking a bit sluggish and tired against the more youthful Stars. The Stars streamrolled the older Stripes to win the ASG championship 47-21. Fox finished the event with 7 points and 3 assists.
Edwards took home the MVP trophy, scoring 32 points on the evening.
The Spurs may not have left All-Star Weekend with any hardware, but they had an entertaining showing, and more importantly, got out of Los Angeles totally healthy for the stretch run. Wembanyama may not have won any games in the All-Star tournament, but his impact on the event was noticeable to fans and players alike.
“It’s a game I personally cherish,” Wembanyama said. “So being competitive is the least I can do.”
Wembanyama and the Spurs put on a show this weekend and will likely be a staple of the events for years to come. Perhaps the event will get back to its former glory thanks to the inspiring effort by San Antonio’s franchise cornerstone.
For years, the NBA All-Star Game had become basketball’s most glamorous scrimmage. A layup line dressed in designer sneakers. Defense was always an optional accessory.
The league scrapped the tired East vs. West, and captains pick teams models, and introduced a USA vs. World format — a three-team, four-game round-robin tournament. Twelve-minute sprints. No coasting. No hiding. The top two teams advanced to a championship game, and suddenly, pride wasn’t just a marketing slogan. It was bragging rights.
Scottie Barnes celebrates with Cade Cunningham after a win over World during the NBA All-Star basketball game. AP
The idea was borrowed from the NHL’s wildly competitive 2025 All-Star showcase, where Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States skated with national urgency. The NBA All-Star Game needed a jolt. It got it.
From the opening tip, the temperature was different. Hands were active in passing lanes. Double-teams were executed. Players blocked shots and argued calls.
The first game went into overtime, where Raptors forward Scottie Barnes drilled a 3-pointer to stun Team World in the first competitive contest.
SCOTTIE BARNES WINS IT FOR USA STARS.
USA STARS VS. USA STRIPES COMING UP NEXT ON NBC & PEACOCK
The second game featured the Young Stars vs. The NBA OGs. It was one of the more exciting and prideful games.
A back-and-forth battle saw both teams breaking a sweat and giving it their all in the final two minutes.
Anthony Edwards, one of the next faces of the league, scored five straight points to give the Young Stars the lead, but the current face of the NBA, LeBron James, walked the ball up the court and found Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell in the paint, but instead of shooting, he passed out to Spurs point guard De’Aaron Fox — who drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
WILD ENDING OF USA STARS/STRIPES!
ANT LAY TO MAKE IT A 2-POINT GAME. ANT STEAL. ANT 3 FOR THE LEAD. FOX GAME-WINNER.
On his home floor, Kawhi Leonard turned the All-Star stage into a personal workshop. He dissected Team World with surgical calm, scoring 31 of his team’s 48 points in a 12-minute sprint that felt like a playoff moment.
Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant high-fiving during the NBA All-Star Game. AP
With three seconds left, Leonard rose from the right wing and buried a fading 3 over an outstretched Karl-Anthony Towns. The kind of shot that would have meant nothing in past All-Star exhibitions meant everything here.
Across from him, Victor Wembanyama poured in 19 points in the loss, stretching arms and expectations in equal measure. The future battled the present. The building leaned forward.
Team World was hampered by injuries. Luka Dončić logged just five minutes in the opener before a hamstring tightened and prudence prevailed.
“I think it was good. The game this year was a little better,” Dončić said afterward. “We didn’t make it. We had some injuries on our team again, but we’ll be better next year.”
Luka Doncic with the ball against Anthony Edwards. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The championship game provided the cleanest proof that this format works. It was a rematch of the second game, when the OGs stunned the Young Stars at the buzzer. But this time the young legs had nearly 45 minutes of rest, and in a tournament built on quick turnarounds, that rest was currency.
They spent it immediately.
The Young Stars blitzed to a 12-1 lead, attacking the rim like rent was due. The OGs, proud but winded, tried to summon muscle memory. They simply couldn’t close the gap.
The final game lacked the drama of the first three, as well as Leonard’s heroics, but it delivered something arguably more important: consequence.
Led by Tyrese Maxey and Edwards, the Young Stars claimed the first USA vs. World Round Robin title for Team USA Stars. Maxey played with the giddy edge of someone who understands that bragging rights carry weight in this league.
“I didn’t want to lose to the OGs again, know what I mean?” Maxey said, grinning. “That gives them trash-talking. If I see these guys in two weeks when we play against them, I now have bragging rights. Those are fun to have.”
Anthony Edwards holds the Kobe Bryant Trophy over his head after being named MVP of the NBA All-Star game. AP
There were moments Sunday when bodies hit the floor and no one flinched. When a missed defensive rotation drew visible frustration. When Team World huddled like it was protecting something bigger than Instagram highlights.
The USA vs. World concept taps into the NBA’s most powerful truth: The league is global, and that globalism carries pride. International stars have reshaped MVP ballots for half a decade. American players have heard the noise. You put those identities in a tournament structure, add quick games that demand urgency, and you get something closer to real basketball.
Not perfect. But real.
“Wemby set the tone. He said ‘it’s on!’ and so we had to bring it,” said Edwards, the Timberwolves guard who was named the All-Star Game Tournament MVP. “We had to come out hard and give the red team the victory, and we did that. This was a lot of fun.”
Was every possession played at Finals intensity? Of course not. Let’s not romanticize it. This is still an exhibition wedged into a packed season. But compared with the defensive apathy of recent years, this felt like a correction.
It also helps that the stage matched the stakes. The Intuit Dome didn’t just host the event; it elevated it. On NBC’s broadcast, the arena glowed like the league’s future — sleek, ambitious, unapologetically expensive. A global game in a global city, framed by a format that acknowledges the sport’s shifting balance of power.
“This is the greatest building for basketball in the world. It’s been fantastic. Right now, we’re experiencing real competitive basketball,” Clippers owner Steve Ballmer said, beaming courtside as the arena lights danced off the Dome’s chrome bones.
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The social media reaction was swift and overwhelmingly positive. Fans praised the pace, the stakes, the pride. They noticed the difference because it was impossible not to.
The NBA didn’t just tweak the All-Star Game. It challenged its stars to care — at least a little more. Sunday proved that when you give elite competitors something tangible to play for, even if it’s just national pride and locker-room leverage, they respond.
For the first time in a long time, the All-Star Game wasn’t a punchline.
Texas Tech's bus tires were slashed after the Red Raiders defeated No. 1 Arizona on Saturday, Feb. 14, a Texas Tech spokesperson confirmed to the USA TODAY Network on Feb. 15.
"The team bus had one tired punctured overnight but it was replaced in the morning," the statement read. "There were no disruptions to the team’s travel schedule."
A video circulated social media Feb. 15 of a sharp object puncturing a Texas Tech bus tire after its 78-75 upset win over No. 1 Arizona, which suffered only its second loss of the season. One video of the tires being slashed on X has over 670,000 views.
The Red Raiders' star duo of forward JT Toppin (31 points) and guard Christian Anderson (19 points) scored 50 combined of the team's 78 points. Toppin also added 13 rebounds, while Anderson chipped in eight assists and six boards.
Arizona lost star true freshman Koa Peat to injury in the game. The 6-8 forward scored two points and didn't play after suffering the lower-body injury the first half.
The Wildcats entered the week as one of two remaining undefeated teams in Division I, along with No. 24 Miami (Ohio). However, they fell to Kansas on the road on Feb. 9 before dropping another to Texas Tech, and will lose their No. 1 ranking in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll update on Feb. 16.
Jalen Brunson’s USA Stripes side lost in the final, while Karl-Anthony Towns’ Team World lost both the games they played.
Brunson was passive in the normally shot-happy games, while Towns’ biggest impact was negative.
When the first game, between Team World and the USA Stars, went to overtime — which was decided by the first to a target score of five points — he airballed on Team World’s first possession.
Jalen Brunson drives to the basket during the NBA All-Star Game Feb. 15. NBAE via Getty Images
Then, when the World took a 3-2 lead, he inexplicably helped defensively on a pass to Jalen Duren, leaving his man — Scottie Barnes — wide open behind the arc.
Barnes drilled the 3-pointer, sealing the win for the Stars.
“I would’ve expected us to be smarter right here,” Victor Wembanyama said. “So that was disappointing.”
Wembanyama, who had set an early tone for the competitive level with his effort, put his hands on his head in frustration at the mistake.
A 2-pointer wouldn’t have been a terrible result — a 3-pointer meant a loss for Team World.
And Towns left his man to help on a 2-pointer, leaving his man open for a trey.
Karl-Anthony Towns controls the ball during the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 15. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“Coming down to defense, especially down the stretch,” Norman Powell said afterward about the sequence. “When we’re up three, not giving up a 3-pointer to tie the game. It’s gonna be the attention to detail, it’s on defense, if we’re gonna compete on every single possession.”
“That feels like a pretty real answer,” said Noah Eagle, NBC’s lead play-by-play announcer.
Towns finished with 10 points in that game, second-most behind Wembanyama.
Then in Team World’s second game, against Brunson’s Team Stripes, he scored six points.
Midway through that third game, Brunson and Towns began guarding each other.
Towns drilled a 28-foot 3-pointer, then Brunson picked him up on the other end.
“I knew no matter what shot I shot, the ball was going in,” Brunson said of matching up with Towns. “Whenever KAT’s guarding me, I know what’s gonna happen.”
Jalen Brunson drives to the basket as Karl-Anthony Towns defends during the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 15. Imagn Images
But it certainly wasn’t a Knicks-centric show.
Towns’ Team World lost in their second game, meaning he was done for the night.
Brunson played in three games — his Stripes side beat the Stars in their first game, beat the World in their second game but were blown out by the Stars in the final.
Brunson took a back seat to his All-Star brethren, scoring a total of 13 points on 7-for-9 shooting between his three games.
It was ironic; Towns, whose foul complaints often go unheard in regular games, found a pair of rare free throws in the first of the usually foul-free All-Star games.
He was fouled by Barnes during the USA Stars vs. Team World game and hit both free throws.
A few minutes later, he drilled a 39-foot 3-pointer.
Later in that game, he was most at fault for the loss.
