How the All-Star Game works: A breakdown of the NBA's new format

The NBA All-Stars have been selected. Next up: Assigning them to teams.

The 10 players designated as starters were announced on Jan. 23, the remaining 14 players designated as reserves were revealed Thursday — and now, those 24 players will be drafted onto eight-player teams for the games that will be played on Feb. 16 in San Francisco.

TNT analysts and basketball greats Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith will draft the teams on Feb. 6. The eight-player teams will bear their names — Team Shaq, Team Charles and Team Kenny.

They’ll pick from this pool of players:

— LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers

— Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers

— Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics

— Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks

— Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder

— Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves

— Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons

— Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves

— James Harden of the Los Angeles Clippers

— Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns

— Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets

— Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors

— Pascal Siakam of the Indiana Pacers

— Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat

— Alperen Sengun of the Houston Rockets

— Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies

— Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs

The games will be fast. Games are to 40 points; first one to reach that total wins. The two semifinal winners will meet in the All-Star final, that game also goes only to 40 points.

There was a weighted formula to pick the 10 players designated as “starters.” It was 50% fan vote, 25% media panel vote, 25% current player vote. NBA head coaches picked the 14 players designated as “reserves.”

But the starter and reserve columns won’t mean much on game night, since there will be 15 different players starting — five from each of the three teams — and only nine players coming off the bench in those semifinal games.

The Rising Stars event winner — that tournament will be held Feb. 14, another four-team event made up of first- and second-year players — will be the fourth team in the All-Star games on Feb. 16. That team will be called Team Candace, for Candace Parker.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has wanted a more competitive All-Star event for some time, and this change comes after the teams combined to score a record 397 points — 211-186 was the final — in last season’s game at Indianapolis.

The teams combined to take 289 shot attempts in last year’s game, 94% of those being either inside the paint or beyond the 3-point line.

Kenny Atkinson of the Cleveland Cavaliers will coach one All-Star team, Mark Daigneault of the Oklahoma City Thunder will coach another, and two of their assistants — one from each team — will have the other teams under their direction.

Cleveland and Oklahoma City are sending their staffs to the game because those are the teams with the best records in the Eastern and Western Conferences.

There is a prize pool of $1.8 million for the All-Star Game.

Each player on the All-Star champion team gets $125,000, each player on the runner-up team will get $50,000 and the players on the teams eliminated in the semifinals will each get $25,000.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Golden State Warriors guard Dennis Schröder (71) defends against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry walks off the court after an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts to a score against the LA Clippers during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James reacts after dunking against the Washington Wizards during the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Rudy Gobert had 24 points and 14 rebounds, Donte DiVincenzo made a clutch 3-pointer with 28 seconds remaining and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Golden State Warriors 127-120 on Friday night.

Stephen Curry scored 39 for the Warriors after missing the previous five games with a bruised left quadriceps, but Minnesota held on even without injured star Anthony Edwards (right foot soreness).

DiVincenzo finished with 21 points, six rebounds and four assists in the first meeting between the teams since the Timberwolves eliminated the Warriors in the second round of the playoffs last season.

Julius Randle had 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists for Minnesota. Naz Reid added 18 points and seven assists off the bench.

Quinten Post scored 16 points for Golden State. Jimmy Butler had 15 points and eight rebounds.

The game featured 27 lead changes, tied for second-most in the NBA this season, and both teams played short-handed. The Timberwolves were without Edwards, while the Warriors were missing injured Draymond Green.

Minnesota grabbed momentum in the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves opened the final period with a 20-7 run and led by 10 with five minutes to go before Curry and Moses Moody connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to pull the Warriors to 108-104.

Golden State briefly led 118-117 following Curry’s free throw with 1:37 remaining, but Gobert had a go-ahead dunk and DiVincenzo made it 123-118 on his 3 with 28 seconds to play as the Wolves closed with a 10-2 surge.

Curry got going quickly in his return. The two-time NBA scoring champ made his first three shots and scored eight of the Warriors' first 12 points.

Timberwolves: Host the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

Warriors: Play the Trail Blazers in Portland on Sunday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, center, reacts from the bench during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates after making a 3-point basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) moves the ball while defended by Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte Divincenzo (0) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) shoots while defended by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots between Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) and forward Jaden McDaniels (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)