After Damian Lillard’s stunning return to the 3-Point Contest and a mediocre Dunk Contest, All-Star Saturday night had fans craving for more. And the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday lived up to the billing. While some stars did not participate due to injury, Anthony Edwards and Victor Wembanyama made sure to give the fans exactly what they wanted!

A competitive All-Star Game, which had dunks, steals, fouls, and some trash talk. Edwards deservedly took home the Kobe Bryant Trophy as the All-Star MVP. Here’s how he did it.

Sunday’s results

Team Stars 37, Team World 35 (OT)– Game 1 of the round robin tournament set the tone. It was Ant-Man versus the French Phenom, and the latter took charge early, right from the jump ball. Supporting Wemby were Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic, who unfortunately only played in the first 5 minutes of the game, probably to manage their injuries. But Karl-Anthony Towns gave Team World stability from the bench with 10 points. But Edwards was the star of the show.

Anthony Edwards scored 13 points and hit a crucial three-pointer with 14.3 seconds left to tie it at 32-32 to force overtime. The OT period was first to five points, and Wembanyama hit a 3 to give the World a 3-2 lead, but Scottie Barnes nailed a three-pointer of his own to give the Stars the 37-35 win. Wemby’s 14 points and 6 rebounds weren’t enough to lead his side, and the Spurs star was visibly disappointed.

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Team Stripes 42, Team Stars 40- Game 2 did not have OT, but it had a buzzer beater, which kept the crowd going. The ‘older’ stars of the USA faced the younger stars, and the matchup did not disappoint. Veterans of Team Stripes, Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant, stole the ball from Devin Booker and Jalen Duren on different occasions, signifying the competitive spirit. With 35 seconds left, Team Stripes led by 4. But Anthony Edwards’ hustle play reduced the margin instantly.

He first scored a tough layup and then was successful in stealing the ball and drilling a three-pointer to give his team a one-point lead. But it was De’Aaron Fox who converted the game-winning 3-pointer as time expired.

Team Stripes 48, Team World 45- Wemby had vengeance in his eyes and made four of his first five shots to once again establish his dominance. But it was the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard who turned on a heater with a blistering 31 points on 11-of-13 shooting, including 6-of-7 from 3-point range, carrying Team Stripes to a 48-45 win.

Team Stars 47, Team Stripes 21- The final was the least competitive game of the night. It looked like Team Stripes ran out of gas early in their third consecutive game. The more youthful Team Stars capitalized and jumped out to a 16-3 lead. Once again, Anthony Edwards had five straight points, which helped his team take a 26-9 lead with 6:02 left.

By then, Team Stripes had missed 13 of their 16 shots. Team Stars was in cruise control mode to a 47-21 win, led by nine points from Tyrese Maxey and eight each from Edwards and Chet Holmgren.

Stats and MVP

Anthony Edwards led Team Stars with 13 points and scored a clutch game-tying three-pointer in the first round-robin game against Team World. He followed it up with eight points in the final against Team Stripes, logging a combined 32 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. He emerged as the clear winner, dominating the court in all three games and on both ends.

Victor Wembanyama: Ant-Man was the first to credit Victor Wembanyama for setting the tone for the All-Star Game with a spirited opening display against Team USA Stars in Game 1. The San Antonio Spurs star had 14 points and six rebounds in the game, not to mention his three blocks. He followed that up with 19 points and two rebounds against Team USA Stripes. His night came to an end with 33 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks with 10-13 FG.

Kawhi Leonard had one of the standout performances tonight. The 2x NBA Champion turned back the clock with a sensational 31-point outing in game two against Team World. However, he could not replicate that performance in the final and ended with just 1 point.

Review and other memorable moments

Players hustled on defense, battled for every call, and crashed the boards. Most of the games went down to the wire, with the clock ticking and the outcome still in doubt. Some buzzer-beaters dropped, others rimmed out. Team World wasn’t at full strength. Giannis and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were both sidelined with an abdominal strain. Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic logged just five minutes in the first game before heading to the bench.

The Obamas graced the marquee event and made it more special. In fact, they were part of the action in the very first game. Nikola Jokic tipped the ball out of bounds, and it went right toward Barack Obama. He nonchalantly shielded his wife, Michelle Obama, by snagging away the ball. During halftime, he was in action this time with his witty remark.

Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, legendary star of the Indiana Pacers, interviewed Obama and asked him about his favorite NBA moment from the 1990s. The Chicago native did not hesitate, “I always enjoyed watching us beat Indiana.”

Stephen Curry made his presence felt. While being on the sidelines and not participating on the court because of runner’s knee, the Warriors star still got the bucket. During the pregame shoot, Steph was in the NBC booth and casually picked up a basketball and put it through the net. He was challenged, as apparently Chef Curry has never hit a trick shot on All-Star Sunday.

The first one hit the rim and bounced out. Similar story with the second. Third hit the top of the board. And the fourth, a perfect shot. So, the off-court activities and events perfectly blended with an enthralling NBA All-Star game.