Castrol Rising Stars Game Recap: Team Vince 25, Team Melo 24
VJ Edgecombe ends the final game with two free throws to win the Rising Stars Championship game.
> 2026 NBA All-Star: Complete Coverage
- Winner: Team Vince
- MVP: 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe, Team Vince
- Live Blog: Top Moments, Highlights & the MVP
- Castrol Rising Stars: Team Rosters
Game Results
- Game 1: Team Melo 40, Team Austin 34
- Game 2: Team Vince 41, Team T-Mac 36
- Rising Stars Championship: Team Vince 25, Team Melo 24
LOS ANGELES – Team Vince won the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars at All-Star 2026 on Friday night.
It was a “next bucket wins” situation in the final game, and Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe drained two free throws to cap his team’s 25-24 victory over Team Melo. Edgecombe was named Rising Stars MVP after scoring 17 points in the semifinal and another six in the final. Trailing 23-22 on the previous possession, Team Melo had a chance to win with a 3-pointer, but they couldn’t get a clean look from beyond the arc, and the Spurs’ Stephon Castle tipped in a Jeremiah Fears miss to make it 24-23 before Edgecombe’s game-winning free throws.
San Antonio rookie Dylan Harper closed out the first semifinal for Team Melo by isolating against his older brother (Ron Harper Jr.) and draining a step-back jumper from just inside the right elbow. Team Austin (comprised of G League players) led 32-28, but the Rockets’ Reed Sheppard then drained two straight 3-pointers and Team Melo finished the game on a 12-2 run.
Sheppard and Donovan Clingan led Team Melo with nine points each, while Castle finished with six points and five assists. Team Austin was led by big men Yanic Konan Niederhäuser (Clippers) and Yang Hansen (Blazers), who combined for 21 of the team’s 34 points.
Team T-Mac ran out to a 15-7 lead in the second semifinal, but Team Vince came back and took control with a late 10-0 run. Edgecombe scored his team’s final 10 points in a 41-36 victory, finishing it with a isolation step-back jumper against the Grizzlies’ Cam Spencer. Edgecombe led all scorers with 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting, while the Cavs’ Jaylon Tyson led Team T-Mac with 10 points and five rebounds.
— John Schuhmann
About The 2026 Castrol Rising Stars
The 2026 Castrol Rising Stars were drafted to three teams with Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg, Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel and Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe selected in the first round by honorary coaches Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter.
The three teams of top NBA rookies and sophomores will compete against a G League squad in a mini-tournament Friday, Feb. 13 (LIVE, Peacock) at the LA Clippers’ Intuit Dome as part of NBA All-Star 2026.
Team Melo
- Cooper Flagg (Dallas Mavericks) * [injured will not play]
- Reed Sheppard (Houston Rockets)
- Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs)
- Dylan Harper (San Antonio Spurs)
- Jeremiah Fears (New Orleans Pelicans)
- Donovan Clingan (Portland Trail Blazers)
- Collin Murray-Boyles (Toronto Raptors)
- Ace Bailey (Utah Jazz)
* Ace Bailey replaces the injured Cooper Flagg
Team T-Mac
- Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets)
- Kel’el Ware (Miami Heat)
- Tre Johnson (Washington Wizards)
- Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards) * [injured will not play]
- Ajay Mitchell (Oklahoma City Thunder) ^ [injured will not play]
- Jaylon Tyson (Cleveland Cavaliers)
- Zaccharie Risacher^ (Atlanta Hawks)
- Cam Spencer (Memphis Grizzlies)
- Bub Carrington* (Washington Wizards)
* Bub Carrington replaces the injured Alex Sarr
^ Zaccharie Risacher replaces the injured Ajay Mitchell
Team Vince
- VJ Edgecombe (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Derik Queen (New Orleans Pelicans)
- Kyshawn George (Washington Wizards)
- Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls)
- Egor Dёmin (Brooklyn Nets)
- Cedric Coward (Memphis Grizzlies) * [injured will not play]
- Jaylen Wells (Memphis Grizzlies)
- Carter Bryant (San Antonio Spurs)
* Carter Bryant replaces the injured Cedric Coward
Team Austin
- Sean East II (Salt Lake City Stars)
- Ron Harper Jr. (Maine Celtics)
- David Jones Garcia (Austin Spurs) * [injured, will not play]
- Yanic Konan Niederhäuser (San Diego Clippers)
- Alijah Martin (Raptors 905)
- Tristen Newton (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
- Yang Hansen (Rip City Remix)
- Mac McClung (Chicago Bulls) ^ [injured, will not play]
- Jahmir Young^ (Miami Heat)
* Mac McClung replaces the injured David Jones Garcia
^ Jahmir Young replaces the injured Mac McClung
Roster Updates
- Carter Bryant replaces injured Cedric Coward
- Jahmir Young replaces injured Mac McClung
- Ace Bailey replaces injured Cooper Flagg; Bub Carrington replaces injured Alex Sarr
- Zaccharie Risacher replaces injured Ajay Mitchell
- Mac McClung replaces injured David Jones Garcia
Full draft results
Castrol Rising Stars Draft Recap
Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter recap their picks for the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars.
The results of the draft can be found below. Austin Rivers will be the honorary coach of the NBA G League players.
- Cooper Flagg (Team Melo)
- Kon Knueppel (Team T-Mac)
- VJ Edgecombe (Team Vince)
- Derik Queen (Team Vince)
- Kel’el Ware (Team T-Mac)
- Reed Sheppard (Team Melo)
- Stephon Castle (Team Melo)
- Tre Johnson (Team T-Mac)
- Kyshawn George (Team Vince)
- Matas Buzelis (Team Vince)
- Alex Sarr (Team T-Mac)
- Dylan Harper (Team Melo)
- Jeremiah Fears (Team Melo)
- Ajay Mitchell (Team T-Mac)
- Egor Dёmin (Team Vince)
- Cedric Coward (Team Vince)
- Jaylon Tyson (Team T-Mac)
- Donovan Clingan (Team Melo)
- Collin Murray-Boyles (Team Melo)
- Cam Spencer (Team T-Mac)
- Jaylen Wells (Team Vince)
How it works
In the Castrol Rising Stars mini-tournament, Team A will face Team B in the first semifinal (Game 1), and Team C will play Team D in the second semifinal (Game 2). The winner of Game 1 will meet the winner of Game 2 in the championship (Game 3).
For each semifinal game, the winner will be the first team to reach or surpass 40 points. For the championship game, the winner will be the first team to reach or surpass 25 points.
How players were selected
NBA assistant coaches determined the pool of 21 NBA players, with each team submitting one ballot. Voters ranked 10 rookies and 10 sophomores, with more points assigned to higher placements. The top 10 rookies and top 10 sophomores by point total earned spots. The final spot was awarded to the higher-scoring player among the 11th-ranked finishers in each class. The pool includes one more sophomore than rookie based on total points received.
The coaches
Hall of Fame players Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady will join Austin Rivers as the four honorary coaches selected for the Castrol Rising Stars mini tourney.
An assistant coach from one of the NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs will be named head coach of each of the four Castrol Rising Stars teams, working alongside the honorary coaches.
