INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds left to cap his 31-point barrage in 12 minutes, beating the World team 48-45 and sending his “Stripes” team into the final against their fellow Americans on the “Stars” at the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday.
Leonard thrilled his home crowd in the Los Angeles Clippers' Intuit Dome with a spectacular effort in the third short game of the mini-tournament comprising the latest
iteration of the main event of All-Star weekend.
The seven-time All-Star went 11 of 13 and 6 of 7 from beyond the arc despite a reasonable defensive effort from the World team led by Victor Wembanyama, who scored 19 points before missing a tying 3-pointer attempt at the buzzer.
LeBron James put the Stripes ahead with 31 seconds left on a putback dunk, but Wembanyama hit two free throws to tie it before Leonard's dagger.
All three mini-games featured dramatic finishes and appeared to be played at a higher level of competitiveness than most All-Star Games in recent years, suggesting the league’s fourth All-Star format in four years might have finally cracked the code on the long-standing question of how to make this midseason showcase more entertaining.
Scottie Barnes won the opening 12-minute game for the Stars with a clinching 3-pointer in overtime, beating the World 37-36.
De’Aaron Fox then hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer in the second game, sending the slightly older Stripes team past the slightly younger Stars 42-40.
The All-Star Game has received years of criticism for the players’ increasingly indifferent effort and TV viewers’ declining interest. The 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.
Despite going 0-2, Wembanyama made good on his vow to take the game seriously, also leading the World team in scoring with 14 points in the first game.
In the third round-robin game, Leonard hit his first seven shots with five 3-pointers amid raucous cheers from the extra-steep supporters' section called The Wall behind one basket at this futuristic 18-month-old arena.
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.
Edwards scored 13 points and hit the tying 3-pointer with 13.3 seconds left in regulation to begin the mini-tourney.
Edwards hit a 14-footer to begin the first-to-five-points overtime period. Wembanyama made a 3-pointer, but Raptors star Barnes ended it by draining his only shot of the game.
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.
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 in the opening game 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.
Donovan Mitchell took a pass under the net from James and kicked it out to Fox on the perimeter for the winner.
Jaylen Brown led the Stripes with 11 points, and James scored eight to begin his record 21st All-Star appearance.
Anthony Edwards and Cade Cunningham scored 11 points apiece for the Stars.
“Old heads 1-0,” James said with a laugh. “We’ve got a lot of guys that have played a lot of basketball, so no matter what’s going on, we know how to keep our composure and execute.”
A few hours beforehand, the top scorer in NBA history said the game’s presence in the Los Angeles area meant “nothing, because this is not our building. This is a road game.”
Indeed, the Clippers fans in Intuit Dome booed James and Doncic whenever they touched the ball in the first two games.
The All-Star weekend stays out West in February 2027 when Phoenix hosts for the fourth time.
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