NBA All-Star 2015 Saturday Night: Slam Dunk, Three-Point Contest, Preview, Schedule, Where to Watch, Predictions
Before the superstars take court in the 2015 NBA All-Star Game, fans are expected to get a treat on Saturday night as the league presents this year's Shooting Stars, Skills Challenge, Three-Point, and Slam Dunk Contest.
Four teams will compete in the 2015 Degree Shooting Stars Challenge, featuring team leaders Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, Russell Westbrook for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Paul Millsap of the Atlanta Hawks, who will all team up with one legend and one WNBA player.
Bosh will compete together with Dominique Wilkins and Swin Cash. Curry will team up with Dell Curry and Sue Bird. Millsap will be backed up by Scottie Pippen and Elena Delle Donne, while Westbrook will look to win the title together with Anfernee Hardaway and Tamika Catchings.
Following the Shooting Stars Challenge, All-Star point guards Kyle Lowry and Jeff Teague will look to dominate the Taco Bells Skills Challenge but will have to come up on top a strong field of contestants composed of Patrick Beverley, Trey Burke, Brandon Knight, Elfrid Payton, Dennis Schroeder and Isaiah Thomas.
Predictions
Curry's team will win the Shooting Stars Challenge convincingly as they have the best shooters among the competitors. On the other hand, the Skills Challenge will be a tossup between Lowry and Teague, but Teague is expected to edge his fellow All-Star in a close race.
Meanwhile, the best 3-point shooters in the league will go head-to-head in the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest, which is considered as one of the most anticipated events in this year's All-Star Weekend in New York.
Marco Belinelli of the San Antonio Spurs will have a hard time defending his title on Saturday night as he will be going up against Curry and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors, Kyle Korver of the Atlanta Hawks, James Harden of the Houston Rockets, Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Wesley Matthews of the Portland Trail Blazers and J.J. Redick of the LA Clippers.
Prediction: The "Splash Brothers" are tipped to win this year's 3-point shooting contest, but Korver will likely emerge as the winner on Saturday night as he has been on target this season, shooting 52.3 percent from beyond the arc.
And in the main event of the All-Star Saturday Night 2015, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Zach LaVine of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Victor Oladipo of the Orlando Magic and Mason Plumlee will take the spotlight in the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest.
Prediction: Barring any major collapse, LaVine will win this year's Slam Dunk crown, especially now that the league has reverted to the old format. The video below is a clear proof why LaVine will dominate Saturday night's competition.
The four participants will perform any dunk they want in the first two rounds with five judges scoring every attempt from 6-10. The two top-scorers will advance to the head-to-head finale following the same scoring system.
Schedule & Where to Watch
The 2015 NBA All-Star Saturday Night is scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. EST at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Fans can catch all events on TNT and through online live stream via TNT Overtime.
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