The 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend and All-Star Recreation are again in Indianapolis for the primary time since 1985, a nod to the state’s basketball historical past and 89-year-old Pacers proprietor Herb Simon.
Right here’s what to find out about tonight’s NBA dunk contest, 3-point contest, abilities problem and the Stephen Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu contest.
USA TODAY Sports activities could have the newest updates, highlights, evaluation, response and extra. Observe alongside.
Sabrina Ionescu capturing from NBA 3-point line vs. Steph Curry
Sabrina Ionescu and Steph Curry can be capturing from the identical depth.
Sabrina Ionescu had the choice of capturing from both the WNBA three-point line (22 ft and 1.75 inches) or NBA three-point line (23 ft and 9 inches), however opted for the NBA arc. Nevertheless, she is going to nonetheless use a WNBA ball. — Cydney Henderson
Damian Lillard defends his 3-point title
As soon as once more, it was Dame Time in NBA All-Star 3-point contest.
One of many clutch gamers within the sport, Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard wanted to make the ultimate shot of the occasion to edge Atlanta’s Trae Younger and win his second consecutive 3-point contest.
Lillard had 26 factors within the ultimate spherical, slipping previous Younger’s 24 factors.
He’s the primary participant to repeat since Toronto’s Jason Kapono in 2007 and 2008.
Within the ultimate spherical, Lillard made 16 of 27 3-point pictures, together with the ultimate money-ball shot (price two factors) on every rack and hit one of many two deep-range pictures (price three factors).
Lillard is 15th in 3-pointers made this season with 148.
Within the first spherical, Lillard, Younger, Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton and Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Cities had a four-way tie with 26 factors and went to a tiebreaker: 30 seconds to make as many pictures as potential, and Haliburton was eradicated with a rating of 12 whereas Lillard and Cities posted 16 factors and Younger had 15 to achieve the ultimate spherical. Cities, the 2022 3-point winner, had 22 factors within the ultimate spherical.
Lillard earned $60,000 for the win, Younger picked up $40,000, Cities $25,000 and Haliburton $15,000. — Jeff Zillgitt
Tyrese Haliburton, Benedict Mathurin and Myles Turner lead Group Pacers to abilities problem win
Is there a such factor as home-court benefit? It seems so. For the third consecutive time, the house crew has gained the NBA All-Star abilities problem. Group Pacers, composed of Tyrese Haliburton, Benedict Mathurin and Myles Turner, took residence the trophy in entrance of the gang at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday night.
Group Pacers bought on the board first with 100 problem factors for profitable the primary spherical, which consisted of a 35’ outlet move, pylon dribbles, a brief shot within the lane, nook three over an automatic windmill defender, and a made basket on the other finish. Tyrese Haliburton capped his crew’s spectacular run with an off-the-backboard dunk.
The second spherical consisted of a passing problem, the place every crew had 30-seconds to gather as many factors as potential by scoring in shifting targets. Group All-Stars and Group Pacers tied with 74-points, leading to a tiebreaker, which Group Pacers in the end gained by scoring 92 to the All-Stars’ 90 factors. With the second-round win, Group Pacers took a 200 level lead over Group First Picks and Group All-Stars, who each had zero factors.
Group All-Star evened issues up with Group Pacers by profitable the capturing problem, the place every crew had 60-seconds to make as many pictures from sure places on the ground, together with a five-point shot from half-court and a four-pointer past the arc.
Group All-Star and Group Pacers each had 200 factors, whereas Group First Choose had zero.
The abilities problem went to a sudden dying, half-court shootout. It took Group All-Stars 58.8 seconds to hit a half-court shot. Group Pacers, nonetheless, had been capable of knock the shot down in solely 30.3 seconds. — Cydney Henderson
Adam Silver defends eligibility rule for MVP, All-NBA honors
NBA commissioner Adam Silver defended the brand new 65-game rule to turn into eligible for main regular-season awards equivalent to MVP and All-NBA. Although Philadelphia 76ers middle Joel Embiid is ineligible for a second consecutive MVP and All-NBA as a result of he gained’t play in 65 video games, and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton can’t afford to overlook greater than six video games the remainder of the season not just for All-NBA consideration however the potential for an additional $41 million in his five-year supermax contract.
“As you already know, plenty of thought went into the 65-game demarcation,” Silver stated. “Not solely was it collectively bargained with the gamers, however we spent in depth time main as much as collective bargaining speaking to all the varied constituencies within the league, most significantly the coaches or common managers, particular person gamers straight, and as was constructed into your query, the notion was we wanted to additional incentivize gamers, notably star gamers, to play extra video games.
“So I am not able to say that it’s not working up to now. I can let you know that the variety of video games that gamers have participated in is up this season, and curiously sufficient, accidents are literally down. Whether or not that is significant information but, I do not know.” — Jeff Zillgitt
When is the NBA 3-point contest?
The 3-point contest is Saturday on the Indianapolis Colts’ Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis. The occasion will happen after the abilities problem and earlier than the Steph Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu 3-point shootout and the dunk contest.
What time does the dunk contest begin?
The dunk contest is the final occasion on Saturday evening.
NBA dunk contest, 3-point contest stream: Tips on how to watch
TNT, ESPN, ESPN 2 and NBA TV and the NBA will present protection of the weekend’s occasions and information conferences.
NBA All-Star weekend schedule
Right here’s the schedule for the remainder of the weekend:
Saturday, Feb. 17
- All-Star Saturday Night time Abilities Problem, 3-point Contest, Steph vs. Sabrina 3-point Problem, Slam Dunk Content material, 8 p.m. ET, TNT
Sunday, Feb. 18
- G League Up Subsequent Recreation, 1:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV
- NBA All-Star Recreation, 8 p.m. ET, TNT
Information from NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s All-Star Weekend press convention
Just a few gadgets of notice from Adam’s Silver’s NBA All-Star Weekend press convention:
∎ Silver acknowledged he’s centered on enhancing player-referee relations.
“I am so sympathetic to each gamers who really feel that an official missed a name, and typically they do, and I am extremely sympathetic to officers who’ve a few of the hardest jobs in sports activities and are underneath a microscope and sometimes, after all, do miss calls, and we acknowledge after they do,” Silver stated. “What makes me most pissed off are the communication points form of between gamers and officers. I really feel that is an space we should always have the ability to do a greater job, each methods. … It’s an space the place we are able to make progress.”
∎ With NIL offers altering the school sports activities panorama, Silver stated he’ll re-evaluate the G League Ignite, which the NBA has used to develop teenagers who didn’t need to play in faculty and sought a payday however had been draft-age eligible.
“We’re within the technique of reassessing Group Ignite as a result of now a few of those self same gamers who did not need to be one-and-done gamers as a result of they felt it was unfair and so they needed the flexibility not simply to earn a dwelling taking part in basketball however to do business offers that weren’t accessible to them in school, to rent skilled brokers, a possibility that wasn’t accessible to them in school, they now – all of those self same alternatives have turn into accessible to them,” Silver stated.
“I am undecided what the way forward for Group Ignite can be, as a result of earlier than there was a gap within the market that we thought we had been filling earlier than doing that, and now my focus is popping to earlier growth of these gamers.”
∎ Silver praised former Dallas Mavericks majority proprietor Mark Cuban who bought his majority share to the households of Dr. Miriam Adelson and Sivan and Patrick Dumont.
“He is really been a game-changing proprietor on this league, and he is had nice success, clearly, with a championship but additionally aggressive groups more often than not throughout his tenure. And he is been a really energetic participant in league issues, whether or not it has been our media committee or Board of Governors conferences. He is by no means hesitated to talk his thoughts.
“I am happy that he is nonetheless – he is not the controlling governor of the crew anymore – a really vital investor within the Dallas Mavericks as he is made clear he is not going anyplace. If you happen to simply tune right into a sport, he nonetheless appears to be standing in the identical spot he was when he was the governor, and he continues to textual content, e mail, name us on the league workplace when he has one thing he needs to share with us.” — Jeff Zillgitt
Is Victor Wembanyama an All-Star?
Victor Wembanyama — the San Antonio Spurs rookie and No. 1 total choose within the 2023 NBA draft — shouldn’t be a Western Convention All-Star.
Nevertheless, Wembanyama did participate in the rising stars competitors on Friday evening.
Wembanyama completed the second semifinal sport with a team-high 11 factors, seven rebounds and two blocks, although his crew was defeated and didn’t attain the ultimate. — Jim Reineking
This yr’s NBA All-Star Weekend marks the debut of the LED courtroom.
The courtroom, developed by the German firm ASB GlassFloor, included design and shade modifications, location-based participant monitoring animations, and countdowns for further level intervals.
It is the primary time a completely LED courtroom’s been used for an NBA occasion. — Ayrton Ostly
Dunk contest contributors
These 4 gamers are collaborating:
- Mac McClung, G League’s Osceola Magic (2023 dunk contest winner)
- Jacob Toppin, New York Knicks, G League’s Westchester Knicks
- Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
- Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami Warmth
Learn Jeff Zillgitt’s full characteristic on McClung right here.
NBA 3-point contest 2024 contributors
These are gamers are collaborating:
- Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks (2023 3-point contest winner)
- Malik Beasley, Milwaukee Bucks
- Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
- Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
- Karl-Anthony Cities, Minnesota Timberwolves
- Trae Younger, Atlanta Hawks
- Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
- Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz
3-point contest winners
Listed here are the winners for the final 10 years. Discover the whole checklist right here.
- 2023: Damian Lillard (Path Blazers)
- 2022: Karl-Anthony Cities (Timberwolves)
- 2021: Steph Curry (Warriors)
- 2020: Buddy Hield (Kings)
- 2019: Joe Harris (Nets)
- 2018: Devin Booker (Suns)
- 2017: Eric Gordon (Rockets)
- 2016: Klay Thompson (Warriors)
- 2015: Stephen Curry (Warriors)
- 2014: Marco Belinelli (Spurs)
Who has gained essentially the most 3-point contests?
The Boston Celtics’ Larry Fowl and Chicago Bulls’ Craig Hodges have every gained the occasion 3 times. — Jeff Zillgitt
What’s the report for many factors in an NBA 3-point contest spherical?
Golden State’s Steph Curry and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton share the report with 31 factors out of a potential 40. — Jeff Zillgitt
What are the NBA 3-point contest guidelines?
Ball racks are stationed at 5 places across the 3-point line, and 4 of the racks comprise 4 orange basketballs and one cash ball. The orange basketballs are price one level, and the cash ball, which must be the final ball shot on every rack, is price two factors. The fifth rack can be an all money-ball rack and every competitor will get to decide on the place this rack can be among the many places. Every cash ball on this rack is price two factors. Two pedestals are positioned deeper than the 3-point line, edging nearer to the middle courtroom emblem, and every pedestal holds a white basketball. A made shot from deep vary is price 3 factors. Every contestant has 70 seconds to shoot as most of the 27 basketballs as he can. — Jeff Zillgitt
Dunk contest winners
Listed here are the winners for the final 10 years. Discover the whole checklist right here.
- 2023: Mac McClung (76ers)
- 2022: Obi Toppin (Knicks)
- 2021: Anfernee Simons (Path Blazers)
- 2020: Derrick Jones Jr. (Warmth)
- 2019: Hamidou Diallo (Thunder)
- 2018: Donovan Mitchell (Jazz)
- 2017: Glenn Robinson III (Pacers)
- 2016: Zach LaVine (Timberwolves)
- 2015: Zach LaVine (Timberwolves)
- 2014: John Wall (Wizards)
Steph vs. Sabrina 3-point contest
Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry and New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu will compete head-to-head within the first NBA vs. WNBA 3-point problem. This occasion will happen after the standard 3-point contest and earlier than the slam dunk contest.
Curry will shoot from the NBA 3-point line and use NBA basketballs, and Ionescu has the choice to shoot from the WNBA 3-point line however she stated she plans to shoot from the NBA line. She is going to use WNBA basketballs. Every made shot will lead to a donation from State Farm to the NBA Basis to help financial empowerment within the Black neighborhood.
Learn Jeff Zillgitt’s story on how this contest got here collectively.
Sabrina vs. Steph 3-point contest guidelines
The format for the Sabrina vs. Steph 3-point contest is identical as a standard NBA and WNBA 3-point contest:
∎ 70 seconds to shoot as most of the 27 basketballs as he/she will.
∎ 4 ball racks with 4 sport balls and one “cash” ball.
∎ Fifth rack can be a particular “all cash ball” rack. He/she will resolve the spot for this rack.
∎ Two deep vary pictures.
∎ Recreation balls price 1 level, cash balls price 2 factors and deep vary balls price 3 factors.
Will Sabrina Ionescu shoot from the NBA or WNBA 3-point line?
Sabrina Ionescu advised reporters this week that she plans to shoot from the NBA 3-point line.
“I shoot from that vary to start with,” she stated. “I apply from that vary and wanting to only be a greater shooter, a greater basketball participant and get higher as a complete. And so figuring out that I had the chance to select what line I needed to shoot from, it was a no brainer from when it was first offered that I needed to shoot from the NBA line and proceed to only show that we’re succesful and we’re keen.
“It is not one thing that it took plenty of convincing and figuring out that I needed to proceed to only equal the taking part in discipline and achieve this when it issues and on the largest stage.”
She will be able to change her thoughts and shoot from the WNBA 3-point line although it appears unlikely. — Jeff Zillgitt
Mac McClung’s life took off, skyrocketing into the NBA stratosphere on a February evening in Salt Lake Metropolis when he gained the 2023 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest as a G League participant one yr in the past.
Fame appeared. Publicity elevated. Endorsement alternatives arrived.
He ended the season taking part in two video games with the Philadelphia 76ers, scoring 20 factors, grabbing 9 rebounds and amassing 9 assists within the Sixers’ season-ending victory towards Brooklyn.
What didn’t present up was a assured contract with an NBA crew.
“That’s the largest battle I fought this summer time,” McClung advised USA TODAY Sports activities. “So many individuals round me had been like, ‘Man, you deserve this. What’s occurring? What’s incorrect? Why didn’t you get this?’ There have been so many questions.
“And really, I felt the identical means. I felt like I deserved to get a contract someplace with the way in which I performed final yr.” Learn Jeff Zillgitt’s full characteristic on McClung right here.
NBA dunk contest judges
Listed here are the judges for Saturday’s slam dunk contest: Two-time dunk contest winner Dominique Wilkins, 2004 dunk contest winner Fred Jones, Corridor of Famers Gary Payton and Mitch Richmond, and Darnell Hillman.
NBA dunk contest prize cash
Right here is how the prize cash is distributed:
- First place: $105,000
- Second place: $55,000
- Third place: $20,000
- Fourth place: $20,000
NBA 3-point contest prize cash
Right here is how the prize cash is distributed:
- First place: $60,000
- Second place: $40,000
- Third place: $25,000
- Fourth place: $15,000
- Fifth place: $15,000
- Sixth place: $15,000
- Seventh place: $15,000
- Eighth place: $10,000
NBA dunk contest odds
The best variety of tickets at BetMGM are on Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (+525) to win the dunk contest. Mac McClung (-225) is the favourite. — Richard Morin
NBA 3-point contest odds
The sphere is large open for the 3-point contest, based on BetMGM. Essentially the most cash is on Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton (+500), who owns 26.7% of the deal with. — Richard Morin
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