USA Stars come out on top in NBA All-Star tournament, beating USA Stripes in final

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maxey-tyrese/r9DvnZeC/"]Maxey[/a] scored nine points while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/edwards-anthony/6u0BMZM2/"]Edwards[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/holmgren-chet/WxvJz45d/"]Chet Holmgren[/a] added eight each as young [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/team-stars/QP2oBQk5/"]Stars[/a] talent overwhelmed the veteran-laden [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/team-usa/ED6jmeYH/"]USA[/a] Stripes [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/team-stars-QP2oBQk5/team-stripes-f5f27rkU/?mid=lSbH8nP7"]in the championship game[/a] at Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers.[/p][p]"[b]We chose to compete today and we came out on top[/b]," said Edwards, the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/minnesota-timberwolves/KjBIVQcI/"]Minnesota Timberwolves[/a] guard who won the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player award.[/p][p]The Stars began the final with a 12-1 run, powered by seven points from Maxey, as the Stripes missed their first 10 shots.[/p][p]The Stars later added a 15-0 run for a 33-9 advantage and the Stripes could not muster a rally.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mitchell-donovan/hhFqipLe/"]Donovan Mitchell[/a] had six points and NBA all-time scoring leader [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/james-lebron/nuIVxFJk/"]LeBron James[/a], an All-Star for a record 22nd time, added five for the Stripes in the final.[/p][embed guid="20745212-465e-40fa-ac84-24dd0b4b6630" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2023202341646659587?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Instead of the usual two-team event, NBA stars played a tournament of four 12-minute games between two US sides and a World group of global talent.[/p][p]Concerns about lackluster effort in past All-Star contests were eased in the new format, which produced hustle, defensive effort plus competitive spark and a high-energy hunger to win.[/p][p]"[b]I know a lot of people have been concerned about the All-Star Game, not seeing as much effort. Today we saw it,[/b]" said former US President Barack Obama, who was seated at courtside.[/p][p]"[b]Whenever you get an international team against an American team, they want to compete - and you've got some young guys I think want to prove something out here.[/b]"[/p][p]The World needed to beat USA Stripes in the round-robin finale to advance, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leonard-kawhi/d4zqZuLO/"]Kawhi Leonard[/a] scored 31 points, including the deciding three-pointer with 3.5 seconds remaining, for a 48-45 Stripes triumph.[/p][p]"[b]I made my first one, kept on from there and they just kept falling,[/b]" said Leonard, who hit 6-of-7 three-point shots.[/p][p]Frenchman [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wembanyama-victor/jFmM1MFl/"]Victor Wembanyama[/a] led the World with 19 points.[/p][h2]'Wemby set the tone'[/h2][p]In the round-robin opener, Edwards scored 13 points and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barnes-scott/EuVVM62p/"]Scottie Barnes[/a] sank the winning three-pointer in overtime as the USA Stars beat the World [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/team-stars-QP2oBQk5/team-world-dxdenFmO/?mid=jTvlqj4F"]37-35[/a].[/p][p]Wembanyama had 14 points, six rebounds and three blocks in an intense contest.[/p][p]"[b]I ain't going to lie, Wemby set the tone,[/b]" Edwards said. "[b]He came out hard and we had to follow that. We had to pick it up and we did that[/b]."[/p][p]A tying Edwards three-pointer forced overtime at 32-32. With the first team to score five points winning, Edwards hit a basket, Wembanyama answered with a three-pointer and Barnes made the game winner.[/p][p]"[b]Once it got a little tight, the competition picked up, guys wanted to win[/b]," World's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/powell-norman/h0afAHmc/"]Norman Powell[/a] said. "[b]We were going to compete every single possession.[/b]"[/p][p]Game two saw more drama when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fox-de-aaron/Ysw8Hl5J/"]De'Aaron Fox[/a] sank a three-pointer at the buzzer to give USA Stripes a 42-40 triumph over USA Stars.[/p][p]An Edwards three-pointer gave the Stars a 40-39 edge until Fox answered from the left wing.[/p][p]"[b]You live for these moments[/b]," James said. "[b]That's a big time play for us older heads... We know how to keep our heads and execute.[/b]"[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brown-jaylen/l88NjhUb/"]Jaylen Brown[/a] scored 11 points and James added eight to lead the Stripes while Edwards and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cunningham-cade/0YleT8PG/"]Cade Cunningham[/a] led the Stars with 11 points each.[/p]