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DELHI, India (AP) — Afghanistan shrugged off back-to-back defeats in its first two games to finally register a first win at cricket’s Twenty20 World Cup, beating the United Arab Emirates by five wickets on Monday.

Azmatullah Omarzai hit 40 not out off 21 balls and opener Ibrahim Zadran scored 53 off 41 deliveries as Afghanistan, coming off the narrowest of narrow losses to 2024 runnerup South Africa in a Group D contest decided after a second Super Over, finished on 162-5 in 19.2 overs.

It was a good all-round showing from Omarzai, who also picked up 4-15 in four overs to help restrict UAE to 160-9 after his team had won the toss.

Afghanistan, though, only has a slim chance of qualifying for the Super Eights.

New Zealand has four points from two wins and could knock out Afghanistan if it beats Canada in Chennai on Tuesday. The Afghans play Canada in their final game in Chennai on Thursday.

Monday’s result meant South Africa became the third team to qualify for the Super Eights, joining India and West Indies in the tournament’s second stage.

Meanwhile, England won the toss and opted to bat against Italy in their Group C game in Kolkata.

Victory would confirm England's spot in the Super Eights.

Unbeaten co-host Sri Lanka plays struggling Australia in a Group B contest in Pallekele later.

Australia must win to stay alive in the tournament.

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

We're less than four weeks away from Selection Sunday, and some teams considered locks in the preseason for March Madness will let their dancing shoes gather dust.

While teams like Miami (Ohio), Saint Louis, Clemson and Virginia have been surprises, plenty of men's basketball teams have gone splat this season.

Here's a look at 10 schools who have disappointed this year, including one already looking for a new coach and a few bluebloods who have fans nervous.

Bracketology: Check out latest March Madness projection

Oregon

Ranked just outside the preseason coaches poll (received second-most votes outside top 25), the Ducks have been a disaster this season. Losing All-Big Ten guard Jackson Shelstad to a season-ending injury didn't help, but Oregon was already just 6-6 when he went down.

The Ducks (9-16, 2-12) finally snapped a 10-game losing streak on Feb. 14 by beating last-place Penn State.

"The guys were feeling it," coach Dana Altman said. “It’s been a long six weeks, that’s for sure, for them, as much or more than our staff.”

Altman had won at least 20 games in each of his previous 15 seasons in Eugene, but the Ducks are on pace to their worst season since going 8-23 in Ernie Kent's second-to-last campaign in 2008-09.

Baylor

We're sure there aren't too many people shedding a tear for the Bears. Baylor opened the season 10-2, then added a former NBA draft pick to its roster, causing plenty of consternation across the country.

Since the addition of 2023 draft pick James Nnaji, Baylor is 3-9 and sinking to the bottom of the Big 12 standings.

The Bears received 13 votes in preseason top 25, but at 13-12 they are flirting with their first losing season since 2006-07.

Baylor has won at least one game in each of the past six NCAA tournaments. This March, they will be lucky to play in the NIT or Crown.

By the way, Nnaji is averaging 1.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

Creighton

The Bluejays were ranked No. 23 in the USA TODAY Coaches preseason poll and picked to finish third in the Big East. That ain't gonna happen. Unless Creighton (13-13, 7-8) wins the Big East tournament it's likely going to miss the NCAA tournament for the first time in six seasons.

Creighton is risking its first losing season since going 14-19 in 2014-15 (its second season in Big East). The Bluejays have lost five of their past six games and get No. 5 UConn and No. 17 St. John's next.

Kansas State

The headline moment of All-Star Weekend didn’t come from a dunk, a logo three, or the league’s new tournament format. It came when Stephen Curry stepped onto the floor wearing Klay Thompson’s signature shoes.

Silver, sparkling KT 11s, customized to celebrate the four championships they won together. Title years etched into the design. A nod to Klay scoring 37 points in a quarter, still the all-time record, stamped on the back. A tribute shining under arena lights before a single shot went up. And the timing made it even more meaningful. Just days earlier, Thompson had signed a lifetime deal with ANTA, one of the rarest honors in basketball sneaker history. Curry didn’t just congratulate his former teammate privately. He showed up on the biggest stage of the weekend wearing Klay’s shoes.

For a player as brand-aligned as Curry, whose Under Armour partnership helped build an entire signature empire, switching shoes, even briefly, isn’t something that happens without some thought. This wasn’t a sponsorship obligation or rollout strategy. It was Curry giving flowers in real time.

And it doubled as a homecoming moment. The game took place in Los Angeles, where Klay grew up and first built his basketball identity before becoming a Warrior and eventually a four-time champion. So while Thompson may not have been on the floor as an All-Star, his presence still found its way onto the court through the teammate who shared every major chapter of that journey.

Klay’s lifetime deal itself tells the story of a career built differently. Back in 2015, while most stars chased Nike or Adidas contracts, Thompson partnered with ANTA and quietly built one of the most successful basketball brands in Asia. Over twelve years, he’s sold more than ten million pairs across eleven signature models, turning “China Klay” from internet joke into genuine cultural icon through tours, clinics, and real connection with fans.

Lifetime sneaker contracts are reserved for a tiny circle: Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade, Damian Lillard. Now Klay Thompson joins that list, proof his global impact goes far beyond whatever his current box scores read in Dallas. They built a dynasty together, taking four rings and inspiring an entire generation along the way.

The Splash Brothers redefined basketball’s geometry. And in the middle of All-Star Weekend, Curry let Klay’s shoes shine. A quiet thank-you from one legend to another, proof that some bonds don’t fade when teammates go separate ways.

Anthony Edwards was named Most Valuable Player of the NBA All-Star Game as the USA Stars beat the USA Stripes 47-21.

The Minnesota Timberwolves guard scored 32 points and added nine rebounds and three assists to claim the Kobe Bryant Trophy.

In the 75th edition of the NBA All-Star Game there was a change from the traditional Eastern Conference against Western Conference format.

A new round-robin tournament consisted of four 12-minute games between two sides from the United States - one filled with young players and the other with veteran stars - and one group of international players.

Edwards, 24, along with Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren, each scored eight points as the Stars dominated the championship game while team-mate Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers scored nine.

"It means a lot," Edwards said of his MVP award. "I love Minnesota, and I know Minnesota loves me. I said I wasn't going to put on a show for them but I gave them a show."

The Stripes missed their first 10 shots in the final as the younger Stars team raced into a 12-1 lead. The Stars later added a 15-0 run for a 33-9 advantage as the veterans were well beaten.

NBA all-time scoring leader LeBron James, 41, who was making his 22nd appearance in the All-Star Game, added five for the Stripes.

In the round-robin opener at Los Angeles Clippers' Intuit Dome, Edwards scored 13 points as the USA Stars beat the World team 37-35.

Yet he was afterwards keen to highlight the performance of San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama, with the Frenchman producing 14 points, six rebounds and three blocks in his side's defeat.

"I ain't going to lie, Wemby set the tone," said Edwards. "He came out hard and we had to follow that. We had to pick it up and we did that."

The World team were without injured stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander while Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic combined for only two points, two rebounds and two assists.

They lost the third game 48-45 to the Stripes, meaning they were eliminated and the final would be a repeat of the second game, which the Stripes had won 42-40.

The new format was seen as a success after criticism of recent editions being lacklustre.

Former US President Barack Obama, who was courtside, said: "I know a lot of people have been concerned about the All-Star Game, not seeing as much effort. But we saw it."

Anthony Edwards walked into the 2026 NBA All-Star Game knowing he’d lost the starter vote to a 37-year-old with a bad knee. He walked out with the Kobe Bryant Trophy as MVP, having scored 32 points across three mini-games in a performance that announced what everyone already suspected: the future is here, and it’s not waiting for permission.

Edwards put up 13-of-22 shooting with six threes made, playing 26 minutes of basketball that mattered in ways All-Star Games rarely do. The new tournament format created real stakes, and Edwards responded like someone who’s been preparing for this spotlight his entire life. When Victor Wembanyama set an early tone with 14 first-game points, Edwards didn’t shrink. He matched the energy, then surpassed it when the championship game demanded a closer.

But here’s what makes this story fascinating: Edwards earned that MVP trophy while playing in a spot many outside of Dub Nation assumed should’ve been his from the start. Stephen Curry, at 37 years old, beat out a 24-year-old having what many considered a superior statistical season?

Then came the cruel irony: runner’s knee kept Curry from playing the game he’d earned. A former All-Star MVP himself, there’s no replacing what Curry brings to the festivities. Instead, we got Edwards seizing the opportunity with both hands. The parallel to last year’s second-round playoff series feels unavoidable. When Curry’s injury opened the door in that Western Conference matchup, Edwards and Minnesota didn’t just walk through it, they kicked it down. The Timberwolves earned that series win through superior depth and defensive versatility. Curry’s absence was the opportunity, but Edwards’s performance was the reason.

This is the inflection point we’re watching in real time. One generation hasn’t fully ceded power, but the next generation is already taking what it can reach. Curry still commands All-Star starter votes because over a decade-and-a-half of revolutionizing basketball and winning four championships creates that kind of respect. Edwards wins the MVP because when the spotlight found him, he delivered.

Edwards has his trophy. Curry used the break to heal a knee that’s been compensating for all that dynasty-level usage. And the basketball world got reminded that titles don’t transfer cleanly from one generation to the next. They overlap, compete, and coexist until time forces the question. We’re not quite there yet. The torch is being passed. It’s just happening one All-Star Game, one playoff series, one contested vote at a time.

Not only was the NBA All-Star Game’s new format an absolutely wonderful improvement, leading to competitive games for the first time in what feels like years, but the lone all-star weekend representative of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards, won All-Star Game MVP.

While Kawhi Leonard took over his home arena, it was Edwards’ USA Stars that won the round-robin tournament, leading to the titular hardware win.

Funny enough, the Stars lost to the Stripes in the round robin round, going 1-1 and lucking into a finals spot after the World team lost both. In those finals, it was a completely different game; however, the Stars summarily demolished the Stripes by a final score of 47-21.

No singular player dominated any statistical category, but it was Edwards who led the effort. His total of 32 points across three games led the team.

Edwards was by no means the most impressive player tonight, as Kawhi Leonard nearly eclipsed Edwards’ point total in a single game, but it seems that the same rules that apply to Finals MVP apply to All-Star Game MVP, as Kawhi’s team fell short.

Possibly more importantly, the round robin format was a success. If tonight was any indication, this tournament-style set of games that totals the same minutes played is here to stay. After years and years of lackluster play with minimal effort, this game was different. While no one was playing physically by any means, they were certainly playing hard.

“I think they ain’t really going to take in what I’m saying, but I like this format,” said Ant. “I think it makes us compete because it’s only 12 minutes, and the three different teams separate the guys.”

Additionally, All-Star Weekend is known to be rife with some legal tampering under the guise of building friendships, and Edwards was left on a team with a bunch of young stars whom he could recruit to Minnesota. From backcourt pairings in Tyrese Maxey or Cade Cunningham to Julius Randle replacements in Scottie Barnes or Jalen Johnson, there are so many options for fans to fixate on.

The primary reason for Edwards’ crowning was one that Wolves fans know well: late-game heroics. The first matchup of the night against Team World went into overtime at a 32-32 tie before Ant took over to win the first-to-five tie-breaker.

In the second game, it was once again Edwards leading the charge, as his 11 points represented more than a quarter of the team’s total as they fell to the aforementioned Stripes.

Funny enough, it was Kawhi Leonard’s 31-point performance that eliminated the World team when the Stripes were already locked into a final spot that allowed for this picture:

There’s so much to be said about how Ant got to this point. Drafted while being likened to Dion Waiters and JR Smith, he became a terror going at the rim, slowly took the reins from former Timberwolf Karl-Anthony Towns, and then did the impossible (even if Twitter claims it is a linear part of development) and became one of the best shooters in the league.

Maybe it’s ridiculous to wax poetic about an All-Star Game MVP when that accolade means about as much as Nickelodeon’s NVP, but it’s also a moment to take a look back.

Close your eyes and think about who Ant is for a moment. I think back to the dunk over Yuta Wantanabe as the first moment where I thought “wow, this guy is fun.” I think back to the game against the Suns at the end of his rookie year as the first time I thought “wow, this guy is good.” I think back to the first round series against the Denver Nuggets as the first time I thought, “Wow, this guy may be very good.”

I hope we one day reach a point where I can say, “Wow, this guy may just win us a title.” Tonight was not a step to that by any means, but it brought me back to those moments.

Who would’ve thought we’d get here?

I wouldn’t have.

Tonight wasn’t anything special. You know what it was? Fun. Edwards is the MVP of the NBA’s least important game. Who cares about its importance?

Goodnight Wolves fans. Go to bed smiling.

There’s no turning off Victor Wembanyama’s competitive juices — even in the All-Star Game. 

Wembanyama was captured on the NBC broadcast of Sunday’s All-Star Game festivities visibly upset after Scottie Barnes drilled the game-winning shot for Team Stars at the Intuit Dome.

Barnes shot a game-winning 3-pointer to hand the U.S. squad a win in the new All-Star Game format, USA vs. World, which appeared to be a positive step for the NBA as it has been searching for a more competitive ASG format. 

Wembanyama embodied a much more competitive All-Star Game, which saw him raise his hands in frustration after Barnes’ shot went through the hoop. A defensive breakdown by Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns and his World squad left Barnes wide open, with Team Stars needing a 3-pointer to win the game in overtime.

“It was our second time allowing a 3 when we shouldn’t have in the game,” Wembanyama told reporters about the moment. “It’s really one quarter. I mean I would have expected us to be smarter right here, so it was disappointing. … It’s a game we love. It’s a game I personally cherish, so being competitive is the least I can do.” 

Victor Wembanyama was furious they lost —

Love the intensity.

(h/t @BradeauxNBA)

pic.twitter.com/3Qo8QQs6UEhttps://t.co/2876flcYaw

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 15, 2026

Wembanyama finished the game against Team Stars with 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 from 3-point range, but it wasn’t enough.

“When we’re up three, not giving up a 3-pointer to tie the game,” Norman Powell said afterward about the closing sequence. It’s gonna be the attention to detail, it’s on defense, if we’re gonna compete on every single possession.”

The Spurs’ star’s competitiveness was praised by his fellow All-Stars, with Anthony Edwards telling reporters that Wembanyama had “set the tone.” 

“It was definitely competitive with all three teams. I feel like the old heads played hard, too. They were playing real good defense. But yeah, he set the tone, man. It woke me up for sure,” Edwards said. 

It was a feeling echoed by Knicks star Jalen Brunson. 

“I think Wemby’s a leader,” Brunson said. “The way he carries himself is fantastic for this game. I think he’s done a great job and you see what his impact is on and off the court around this game.”

Team Stars beat Team Stripes 47-21 to win the new USA vs. World All-Star Tournament championship.