NBA All-Star: Team Stars, MVP Anthony Edwards put bow on night that worked

By the time the final rolled around, the suspense was gone.

So was the balance.

Behind All-Star MVP Anthony Edwards, the Team Stars steamrolled Team Stripes, 47–21, to claim the All-Star title Sunday night, turning what was billed as a rematch into a one-sided finish that felt decided almost immediately.

Team Stars jumped on Stripes early and never let up, shooting 61 percent from the field and winning nearly every possession battle along the way. The ball moved, the floor stayed spaced, and the energy gap was obvious. What had been competitive earlier in the night suddenly wasn’t.

Edwards set the tone from the opening stretch, finishing with eight points and earning MVP honors for his work across the night. Tyrese Maxey added nine, while Jalen Duren and Scottie Barnes chipped in six apiece as Stars consistently found clean looks against a Stripes group that never settled in.

Cade Cunningham didn’t score, but helped orchestrate the offense, finishing with two assists and a block as Stars piled on runs without needing any single player to take over.

For Team Stripes, it was a flat ending. Kawhi Leonard, coming off his explosive semifinal, was held to one point. Jaylen Brown scored four, and LeBron James added five, but Stripes shot just 26 percent overall and 4-of-19 from three.

After three close games, the finale was a blowout.

But the format still did its job — and this time, Team Stars finished it.