Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Maxey combined for 17 points, and the youthful USA Stars team routed the more veteran USA Stripes 47-21 in the final of the 2026 NBA All-Star mini-tournament on Sunday as the league experimented with yet another format.

The new format, which featured two teams made up of players from the United States and one team of World players, was largely successful, despite the blowout in the finale.

While there was clearly no playoff-level defence displayed, this year’s All-Star game carried a baseline level of competitiveness absent from games of the recent past.

Each of the three mini-games in the round-robin stage came down to the buzzer.

The format has received positive reviews from analysts and the players in the games, with the NBA hoping it has found a formula to make the All-Star game more watchable.

“I like this format,” Edwards told reporters after the games. “I think it makes us compete because it’s only 12 minutes, and the three different teams separate the guys. I think it was really good.”

While some of the improvement in the game’s quality can be attributed to the format, some credit must also be given to Victor Wembanyama, who publicly challenged some of his fellow All-Stars to take the game more seriously.

While the World team went 0-2, Wembanyama set the tone early with 14 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots in the first mini-game of the round-robin.

Edwards, however, hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 14 seconds left in the opener, sending it to an untimed, first-to-five overtime period. Edwards had another bucket in overtime, before Scottie Barnes hit the winning 3-pointer.

In the second mini-game, Edwards made a layup, got a steal and sank a 3-pointer in a 14-second span to give the Stars the late 40-39 lead over the Stripes. De’Aaron Fox responded with one of the signature moments of the evening, a pull-up 3-pointer at the buzzer to make the Stripes 1-0.

Dare I suggest a basketball game has broken out at #NBAAllStar26?

What a finish here. pic.twitter.com/dmHG7m2LKb

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) February 15, 2026

The veteran Stripes, led by LeBron James and Kevin Durant, stayed on the court for the third mini-game against the World team, but it was one of their teammates who stole the spotlight.

Playing in his home arena, Kawhi Leonard exploded for 31 of the Stripes’ 48 points while shooting 11 of 13 from the field.

Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić sat out the World’s second mini-game, presumably for injury maintenance reasons. Wembanyama scored 19 points against the Stripes in the loss.

While the World team was denied bragging rights this year, it was also without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Giannis Antetokounmpo due to injury.

Despite the finale featuring the two USA teams, the international element did add some fuel to the fire, with American-born players being reminded consistently of their country’s seven-season MVP drought.

Edwards said that his favourite moment of the weekend was beating the World team “because they say they’re the best players in the world. So, beating them is the best feeling in the world.”

All the major North American sports leagues have faced the issue of declining quality in their All-Star games in recent decades. At its worst, the NBA’s All-Star Game had been nearly unwatchable in recent years, with players trading alley-oops and heaving half-court shots for 48 minutes.

While not perfect, this year’s tweaked USA vs. World format appears to be getting positive reviews from all parties involved.