SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — It’ll be Shaq’s OGs against Chuck’s Global Stars for the All-Star mini-tournament title.
The OGs got into the final with a win over Candace’s Rising Stars, while the Global Stars beat Kenny’s Young Stars in the first semifinal.
It was the debut of the new All-Star mini-tournament format: four teams, three games, first to 40 points wins.
The league went to the tournament format of untimed, short games with hopes that asking players to play fewer minutes would lead to better competition. Last year’s game in Indianapolis had a 211-186 final score, setting a slew of records but prompting the league to take action.
And no, it wasn’t exactly a playoff-type intensity. There were some less-than-serious efforts — underhand lobs from half-court, for example — but there was at least some defense played from the outset, such as three blocked shots in the first three minutes of All-Star action.
The first timeout of the night came after Karl-Anthony Towns — who scored 50 points in last year’s defense-optional All-Star Game — connected on a straightaway 37-foot 3-pointer from the center court logo, something he wouldn’t exactly do often in games that counted.
The OGs were without LeBron James, who was ruled out earlier Sunday because of ongoing left foot and ankle discomfort. James was not replaced on the roster, meaning the OGs had seven players available.
The three teams of 24 NBA All-Stars were drafted by TNT analysts Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith. The fourth team — Candace’s Rising Stars, which earned its way into the All-Star tournament by winning the Rising Stars event Friday night — was named for another TNT analyst, Candace Parker.
Semifinal 1: Global Stars 41, Young Stars 32
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 12 points, including the clinching basket, and Chuck’s Global Stars advanced to the title game by beating Kenny’s Young Stars in the first semifinal.
Victor Wembanyama and Karl-Anthony Towns each had six points for the Global Stars. Darius Garland, Tyler Herro and Evan Mobley each had six points for the Young Stars, who were without Anthony Edwards. He was a last-second scratch with a groin issue.
“My groin’s been messed up for a little minute,” said Edwards, who had been listed as a starter for the first semifinal. He added that with the short warmup before Game 1, he didn’t think there was time to test it out and see if he could go.
“You always want to play,” Edwards said. “But when they put two minutes on the clock for warmup, I didn’t get no time to warm up my groin and it was all bad.”
Semifinal 2: Shaq’s OGs 42, Candace’s Rising Stars 35
Damian Lillard scored nine points, including the 3-pointer to push his team past the target score, and the OGs survived.
The Rising Stars — a team of first- and second-year players — weren’t an easy out against a roster with a combined 86 All-Star appearances and $2.7 billion in on-court earnings. There were nine lead changes and five ties.
The OGs grabbed a 37-31 lead and wound up attempting three 3-pointers that would have won it, before Kevin Durant got a layup to get his team within one.
Lillard made a 3 to seal it. Stephen Curry scored eight points for the OGs, while Dalton Knecht and Ryan Dunn each had eight for the Rising Stars.
Up next
Next season’s All-Star weekend — Feb. 13-15, 2026 — will be headquartered at Intuit Dome, the Los Angeles Clippers’ new home in Inglewood, California.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
