INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Scottie Barnes hit a clinching 3-pointer in overtime, and the “Stars” team of Americans beat the World team 37-36 in the first game of the mini-tournament comprising the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday.
Anthony Edwards scored 13 points and hit the tying 3-pointer with 13.3 seconds left in regulation to begin the main event of All-Star weekend
at the Los Angeles Clippers' Intuit Dome.Edwards hit a 14-footer to begin the first-to-five-points
overtime period. Victor Wembanyama made a 3-pointer, but Raptors star Barnes ended it by draining his only shot of the game.
Wembanyama is making good on his vow to take the game seriously, scoring 14 points to lead the World team. Karl-Anthony Towns added 10 points, but Norman Powell — a born-and-raised Californian who represents Jamaica internationally — missed a potential winning shot for the World at the regulation buzzer.
The NBA is trying its fourth All-Star format in four years in another attempt to shake up its annual midseason showcase, which has endured criticism for the players’ increasingly indifferent effort and TV viewers’ declining interest.
The intriguing new setup matches two teams of American All-Stars against a team representing the World, hoping to stoke nationalistic passion from players and fans during an Olympic year. The three teams are playing a round-robin tournament of 12-minute games to determine the final matchup.
Towns scored 50 points in the All-Star Game two years ago and then hit a 37-footer from the logo in last year's game in San Francisco. He made a 27-footer to put the World up 26-17 with 4 1/2 minutes left, but Cade Cunningham and Jalen Johnson led the Stars' late 15-6 rally.
NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic played the first 5:05 for the World before sitting down. The Lakers superstar hadn't played since Feb. 5 due to a hamstring strain, but he was determined to play after receiving his sixth All-Star nod.
The World team was a clear powerhouse with a starting lineup featuring three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, Doncic and Wembanyama, who urged the All-Stars to match his effort in a game not known for passion. Wembanyama was visibly frustrated when Barnes' 3-pointer went in.
John Tesh took the court with his band before the game for a live rendition of “Roundball Rock,” the iconic 1990s theme song of “NBA on NBC," to mark the league's return to the network this season. That network partnership is also the reason the All-Star Game was an afternoon affair on the West Coast, because NBC airs the Winter Olympics at night.
The Intuit Dome crowd included former President Barack Obama, who received a standing ovation pregame.
The All-Star weekend stays out West in February 2027 when Phoenix hosts for the fourth time.
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