Anthony Edwards was named Most Valuable Player of the NBA All-Star Game as the USA Stars beat the USA Stripes 47-21.
The Minnesota Timberwolves guard scored 32 points and added nine rebounds and three assists to claim the Kobe Bryant Trophy.
In the 75th edition of the NBA All-Star Game there was a change from the traditional Eastern Conference against Western Conference format.
A new round-robin tournament consisted of four 12-minute games between two sides from the United States – one filled with young players and the other with veteran stars – and one group of international players.
Edwards, 24, along with Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren, each scored eight points as the Stars dominated the championship game while team-mate Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers scored nine.
“It means a lot,” Edwards said of his MVP award. “I love Minnesota, and I know Minnesota loves me. I said I wasn’t going to put on a show for them but I gave them a show.”
The Stripes missed their first 10 shots in the final as the younger Stars team raced into a 12-1 lead. The Stars later added a 15-0 run for a 33-9 advantage as the veterans were well beaten.
NBA all-time scoring leader LeBron James, 41, who was making his 22nd appearance in the All-Star Game, added five for the Stripes.
In the round-robin opener at Los Angeles Clippers’ Intuit Dome, Edwards scored 13 points as the USA Stars beat the World team 37-35.
Yet he was afterwards keen to highlight the performance of San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama, with the Frenchman producing 14 points, six rebounds and three blocks in his side’s defeat.
“I ain’t going to lie, Wemby set the tone,” said Edwards. “He came out hard and we had to follow that. We had to pick it up and we did that.”
The World team were without injured stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander while Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic combined for only two points, two rebounds and two assists.
They lost the third game 48-45 to the Stripes, meaning they were eliminated and the final would be a repeat of the second game, which the Stripes had won 42-40.
The new format was seen as a success after criticism of recent editions being lacklustre.
Former US President Barack Obama, who was courtside, said: “I know a lot of people have been concerned about the All-Star Game, not seeing as much effort. But we saw it.”
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