NBA · 7 months ago

NBA All-Star Saturday Night Preview | 3-Point, Slam Dunk Best Bets

Paul Connor

Host · Writer

NBA All-Star Saturday Night Preview | 3-Point, Slam Dunk Best Bets

The NBA All-Star Weekend is upon us, with Saturday Night’s events often the pinnacle of the festivities. In this article, SportsGrid provides an overview of each contest and offers our top picks for who might emerge victorious.

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Where to Watch

Date & Time: Saturday, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. ET
Location: Chase Center in San Francisco, California
TV Channel: TNT, TruTV
Streaming: DirecTV, Max

Skills Challenge

Team Cavs (+200) – Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley
Team Spurs (+220) – Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul
Team Warriors (+230) – Draymond Green and Moses Moody
Team Rooks (+430) – Zaccharie Risacher (Atlanta Hawks) and Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards)

The Kia Skills Challenge showcases players’ agility, passing, and shooting abilities in a dynamic team format. It consists of three rounds:

Team Relay: Players navigate an obstacle course testing their dribbling, passing, and shooting skills.
Team Passing: Teams aim to complete passes into moving targets within a set time.
Team Shooting: Participants take shots from various positions on the court to accumulate points.

Each round awards points, and the team with the highest total is declared the winner.

Best Bet: Team Spurs (+220). Considering the combination of Chris Paul’s veteran savvy and Victor Wembanyama’s versatile skill set, Team Spurs looks like a strong contender to win this year’s event.

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Three Point Contest

MIL Damian Lillard (+300)
GSW Buddy Hield (+470)
CLE Darius Garland (+500)
LAC Norman Powell (+650)
BKN Cam Johnson (+700)
MIA Tyler Herro (+750)
NYK Jalen Brunson (+850)
DET Cade Cunningham (+1200)

For some fans, the three-point contest has become the night’s premiere event, particularly given the lackluster nature of the dunk contest in recent years. Participants will have 70 seconds to shoot from five racks around the three-point line, each containing four standard balls worth one point and one “money ball" worth two points. Additionally, two deep-range shots, known as “Starry Range" attempts, are placed beyond the arc, each valued at three points. The maximum score in a round is 40 points.

Of course, all eyes will be on back-to-back champ Damian Lillard, who looks to join Larry Bird and Craig Hodges as the only three-peat winners of the event.

Best Bet: Darius Garland (+500). Garland has been lights out from downtown this season, leading all competitors with a career-best 43.1 three-point percentage on 7.0 attempts per game.

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Slam Dunk Contest

History is also on the line in the slam dunk contest, as the G-League’s Mac McClung aims for the event’s first-ever three-peat. While this year’s field doesn’t feature any marquee names, McClung’s chase for immortality adds some intrigue.

The contest will be judged by a panel of NBA legends, including Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady, two-time dunk contest winner Jason Richardson, and former All-Star Baron Davis. For the first time, fans will also be able to have a say, with their collective input serving as the fifth judge.

The format remains unchanged. In the first round, each contestant performs two dunks, scored on a scale of 1-10 by the panel of judges. The two participants with the highest combined score advance to the final round. In the final round, the two remaining contestants each execute two additional dunks. The highest total score from these dunks determines the winner.

Best Bet: Stephon Castle (+750). Castle has showcased some serious hops in an impressive rookie season. The 20-year-old offers tremendous upside as he looks to thwart McClung’s chance at history.