LOS ANGELES, California — Deni Avdija made history as the first Israeli basketballer to play in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, although his team did not progress to the championship game.

Avdija’s Team World lost both matches in the round-robin event, leaving the USA Stars to beat USA Stripes 47-21 in the final of the 75th NBA All-Star Game tournament held at Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers.

In the 15 minutes he had on the court, the Israeli basketballer scored five points and made a total of four assists throughout the two matches.

Following the tournament, the Portland Trailblazers forward thanked his Israeli fans who stayed up overnight to watch him play.

“I feel like when I come to play, I come with the entire nation, and it’s fun to show that it’s possible, even for a small country like us,” he told Channel 12 news at a post-game press conference.

In the round-robin opener, Avdija, who played as a starter, scored twice — a three-pointer within three minutes of the start of the game and another two points with a transitional dunk.

DENI FROM DOWNTOWN ???? pic.twitter.com/vK2STFmfQd — Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) February 15, 2026

DENI FROM DOWNTOWN ???? pic.twitter.com/vK2STFmfQd

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) February 15, 2026

DENI DUNK ‼️ pic.twitter.com/GNa3TKFDj2 — Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) February 15, 2026

DENI DUNK ‼️ pic.twitter.com/GNa3TKFDj2

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) February 15, 2026

Avdija also made an assist to French teammate Victor Wembanyama, who made 14 points, six rebounds, and three blocks in the intense contest.

Anthony Edwards scored 13 points, and Scottie Barnes sank the winning three-pointer in overtime as the USA Stars beat the World 37-35.

Game two saw more drama when De’Aaron Fox sank a three-pointer at the buzzer to give USA Stripes a 42-40 triumph over USA Stars.

An Edwards three-pointer gave the Stars a 40-39 edge until Fox answered from the left wing.

“You live for these moments,” NBA all-time scoring leader LeBron James said. “That’s a big time play for us older heads… We know how to keep our heads and execute.”

Jaylen Brown scored 11 points, and James added eight to lead the Stripes while Edwards and Cade Cunningham led the Stars with 11 points each.

Coming back for Game 3 against the Stripes, Avdija took a rebound and then gave an assist to Jamal Murray. He also made an assist to Pascal Siakam, taking the World to a 27-20 lead.

Deni lobs it up to Siakam ⬆️ pic.twitter.com/BpD3xMPPsY — Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) February 15, 2026

Deni lobs it up to Siakam ⬆️ pic.twitter.com/BpD3xMPPsY

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) February 15, 2026

The World needed to beat USA Stripes in the round-robin finale to advance, but Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points, including the deciding three-pointer with 3.5 seconds remaining, for a 48-45 Stripes triumph.

“I made my first one, kept on from there, and they just kept falling,” said Leonard, who hit 6-of-7 three-point shots.

In the championship game, Tyrese Maxey scored nine points while Edwards and Chet Holmgren added eight each as young Stars talent overwhelmed the veteran-laden USA Stripes.

“We chose to compete today, and we came out on top,” said Edwards, the Minnesota Timberwolves guard who won the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player award.

The Stars began the final with a 12-1 run, powered by seven points from Maxey, as the Stripes missed their first 10 shots.

The Stars later added a 15-0 run for a 33-9 advantage, and the Stripes could not muster a rally.

Donovan Mitchell had six points, and James, an All-Star for a record 22nd time, added five for the Stripes in the final.

Instead of the usual two-team event, NBA stars played a tournament of four 12-minute games between two US sides and a World group of global talent.

Concerns about lackluster effort in past All-Star contests were eased in the new format, which produced hustle, defensive effort, plus competitive spark and a high-energy hunger to win.

“I know a lot of people have been concerned about the All-Star Game, not seeing as much effort. Today we saw it,” said former US president Barack Obama, who was seated at courtside.

“Whenever you get an international team against an American team, they want to compete — and you’ve got some young guys, I think, who want to prove something out here.”

Avdija called the latest change a fun format.

“People are about to understand that it’s fun watching the All-Star Game,” he said. “It’s going to be a little more competitive, try to bring it back.”

AP contributed to this report.

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