The USA Stars celebrated joyfully after securing the championship in the NBA All-Star mini-tournament yesterday, Monday, February 16, 2026 (PH time), at the Intuit Dome, the home arena of the Los Angeles Clippers. Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Maxey combined forces to propel the USA Stars to the title with a commanding 47-21 win over the USA Stripes in the finals of the 75th National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game tournament.
Key Performances and MVP Honors
Maxey spearheaded the young USA Stars squad by contributing nine points, while Edwards and Chet Holmgren each added eight points. Edwards, who amassed a total of 32 points, nine rebounds, and three assists across three games, was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the mini-tournament. Reflecting on the victory, Edwards, a key player for the Minnesota Timberwolves, stated, "We chose to compete today and we came out on top."
Game Highlights and Turning Points
The championship game began with the USA Stars launching a 12-1 run, highlighted by seven points from Maxey, after the USA Stripes missed their first ten shots. However, the USA Stripes responded with a stunning 15-0 run, building a 33-9 lead at one point, from which the veteran USA Stripes team could not recover. Donovan Mitchell led the USA Stripes with six points, while LeBron James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, contributed five points.
Tournament Format and Structure
In a departure from previous All-Star Games, the NBA adopted a mini-tournament format this year, featuring three teams, each composed of eight players, competing in a single round-robin elimination. The top two teams advanced to the finals, with each game lasting only 12 minutes. Besides the USA Stars and USA Stripes, the other participating team was Team World, comprised of international players.
Preliminary Round Results
In the opening elimination round game, the USA Stars narrowly defeated Team World 37-35 in overtime. In the second game, the USA Stars fell to the USA Stripes 40-42. The third game saw the USA Stripes overcome Team World 48-45, setting up the all-US final matchup.
