NBA All-Star Game 2026: Live updates as Team Stripes, Team Stars advance to championship game, eliminating Team World in new USA vs. world format

Not so fast, Victor Wembanyama. Kawhi Leonard is making his own MVP case and now has 19 of Team Stripes’ 31 points as the US team has jumped out to a 31-29 advantage with 4:51 remaining in Game 3.

He’s 7 of 7 from the field, including 5 made 3 pointers. This one’s shaping up to be another thriller.

Team World needs a win here or it’s eliminated. It has a 27-20 edge at a timeout with 6:45 remaining with Victor Wembanyama leading the way (11 points, 4 of 5 from the field).

Wemby’s got a real shot at MVP today, but he presumably has to lead Team World to victory in order to earn it. If Team World wins here, each team will have secured a win in round-robin play, and it will come down to point differential.

Through two quarters, the new All-Star format is a rousing success. Both games have been competitive, and the second was a thriller.

Nobody’s putting on a defensive clinic, but teams are competing and making an effort on both ends of the court. With games only lasting 12 minutes, players appear willing and motivated to compete.

We’ll see how it plays out for the remaining two games.

Anthony Edwards put Team Stars up 40-39 late with 5 straight points in the final minute including a 3 with 19.5 seconds remaining.

But the former Clutch Player of the Year had an answer. De’Aaron Fox got open with a pump fake on the other end, then pulled for a game-winning 3 that beat the buzzer to secure a 42-40 fictory for Team Stripes.

Team Stripes and Team Stars both have wins, and Team Stripes will take on Team World in the final round-robin game.

Team Stripes remains in control with a 33-27 lead and 2:37 remaining. Jaylen Brown is leading the way with 11 points.

LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard hit back-to-back 3s early, and Team Stripes has a 19-15 lead over Team Stars at a timeout with 7:08 remaining.

The all-US matchup is underway. Team Stars holds court after a Game 1 win and takes on a Team Stripes lineup featuring LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard.

Team World appeared to be in control with a 26-17 lead. But Team Stars rallied to force overtime and was the first to 5 points in overtime in a format where the first team to 5 points wins.

Scottie Barnes’ 3 secured the 37-35 win for Team Stars. With the win, Team Stars holds court and will take on Team Stripes in the second of three round-robin games. Each game is scheduled for a 12-minute quarter, and the top two teams after round-robin play will face off in a final.

We’ve got overtime in Game 1 after Team World and Team Stars played to a 32-32 tie in regulation. The first to 5 points in the extra session wins.

And here’s Victor Wembanyama’s third block of the game, pinning a soft Cade Cunningham layup against the backboard, leading to a Kart-Anthony Towns slam on the other end. He’s here to compete.

Team Stars was up early, but Team World reeled from a 14-2 run to take a 26-17 advantage. Victor Wembanyama leads the way so far with 7 points and 3 rebounds. And he’s injecting some defense into the game with 2 blocks as he tries to swat any shot in his vicinity.

With President Barack Obama sitting courtside, Suns All-Star Devin Booker took advantage of the opportunity and dapped up the first basketball fan during a break in the action.

Former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are in the house.

They, of course, have good seats. And Barack Obama got in on the action early.

Victor Wembanyama’s presence is expected to amplify the competitive nature of this game. So far so good. Wemby is playing aggressive off the opening tip has Team World’s first seven points.

Up first in the latest new All-Star Game format: Team Stripes featuring Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker vs. the World featuring Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama and Luka Dončić.

They’ll compete in a round-robin format alongside a second team of US players in a mini tournament that will crown a champion after four short games.

The format change is the newest in the NBA’s ongoing effort to field a competitive All-Star game after years of doubts in the February showcase. Will it work?

We’re about to find out.

The starting lineups have been announced and the All-Star Sunday festivities are officially underway. NBC, in its first All-Star broadcast in 24 years, tipped things off with a live rendition of Roundball Rock, complete with composer John Tesh.

Two minutes before NBA commissioner Adam Silver was scheduled to address the media in an upstairs room at Intuit Dome, his deputy, Mark Tatum, cheerfully shook hands with reporters before taking his seat in the front row.

That the league’s second-in-command was eagerly anticipating Silver’s words, much like the other occupants in the room, was poignant. Given the most prominent talking points that have dominated league discourse lately — the tanking epidemic, sports betting issues and alleged cap circumvention — have become so prevalent, the build-up to Silver’s news conference was seismic.

However, following the duration of Silver’s availability — he spoke for around 30 minutes — there were far more questions as a result of his answers (or lack thereof).

Read the full story here.

The next step for the NBA in embracing basketball globalism is, of course, a new league based in Europe, which has been widely discussed for years and is in the early stages of development.

There has been some concern from people within European basketball communities in regard to how the NBA will implement a league and whether it’ll respect the history of European basketball.

Tatum believes the NBA is indeed taking those considerations seriously.

“We are being very intentional to ensure that our plans in Europe are built on the strong foundations that already exist on the continent. Celebrating, fostering, and elevating the rich traditions and history that make European basketball so special is fundamental to everything we want to create,” Tatum said. “Working closely with FIBA, we’re confident we can design a league that is authentically European — built by Europeans, played by Europeans and designed for European fans — while bringing that experience to more fans across the continent and creating new traditions.

“Our proposed league would give every team in a FIBA-affiliated domestic league in Europe a merit-based pathway to qualify on an annual basis, which we think will benefit players, domestic leagues, the broader ecosystem and, most importantly, fans.”

It’s crucial that Tatum and NBA commissioner Adam Silver stay true to their planned approach, as that is unquestionably the biggest challenge in front of them in regard to developing an “NBA Europe.”

Read the full story here.

LeBron James was flippant when asked on Sunday if he plans to play another NBA season. And his answer to the question remains the same as it has been: He doesn’t know.

James was asked about his NBA plans beyond this season during a news conference ahead of Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game. Here’s his answer:

“I want to live,” James responded. “When I know, you guys will know. I don’t know. I have no idea. I just want to live, that’s all.”

For more, read here.