Sharpshooters Set to Light Up NBA All-Star Weekend

The 2015 NBA All-Star Game is definitely the main attraction on tap for the league’s annual All-Star Weekend, which it’s set to cap on Sunday, February 15. As always, you can expect the NBA’s biggest stars to show up and show out. On this occasion, New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden will be their stage. The likes of four-time NBA MVP LeBron James and the New York Knicks’ own scoring machine Carmelo Anthony will lead the charge for defending champs the Eastern Conference All-Stars.

Meanwhile, the Western Conference All-Stars are likely to lean heavily on a crack crew of rising superstars – headed by leading overall vote-getter Stephen Curry and high-flying power forward Anthony Davis – to reestablish their supremacy. You can tune to TNT at 8:30 p.m. ET to see how it all plays out. Before you do though, there’s a tantalizing appetizer that’s sure to get your juices flowing ahead of the main course.        

“Splash Brothers” Headline Three-Point Shootout 

Defending champ Marco Belinelli prepares to stroke it during last year’s contest.
(Courtesy of foxsports.com)

There’s probably never been a more loaded field in the history of the NBA All-Star Weekend festivities than the field of sharpshooters who’ll take to the court to dial it up from deep in the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest on Saturday night. It really speaks volumes about the strength of the entry list when the defending champion – San Antonio’s Marco Belinelli – is just about the last guy most people are talking about when discussing possible winners. This is the same Belinelli who thrillingly battled his way past anotherincredibly strong field to crown himself in glory last year. Cleveland’s superstar point guard Kyrie Irving, who won in 2013, was among those vanquished by the veteran Italian last year. He’ll also be back to try and get his hands on the trophy for a second time. Irving showed what he’s capable of by pouring in a career-high 11three-pointers against the Portland Trail Blazers in late January.        

Stephen Curry (left) and Klay Thompson (right) are expected to light up Barclays Center.
(Courtesy of gswbasketball.sportsblog.com)

Despite the presence of two former champs, much of the buzz heading into the shootout has surrounded Golden State’s sweet-shooting guard duo of Curry and Klay Thompson. The former has previously made three unsuccessful attempts to lift the coveted crown, but his league-leading three-pointers per game average (3.2) again has him firmly among the favorites. His shooting guard teammate Thompson, who’s currently second in this category (3.1), is also poised to make some major noise on debut. However, both are expected to face some stiff competition from veteran marksman Kyle Korver. The much-travelled 33 year-old leads the NBA in three-point shooting percentage by a country mile.

James Harden flashes the three-fingered salute with which he greets each made three-pointer.
(Courtesy of zimbio.com)

League scoring leader and earlyMVP front-runner James Harden is another of the big names down to compete. His might not be the first name to come to mind when one thinks of the NBA’s biggest deep threats. (He’s more adept at taking it to the rack than just about anybody else vying for the title.) However, he’s a guy who’s proven that he can get red-hot from downtown at the drop of a hat. The same can be said for both Wesley Matthews and J.J. Redick, who’ll round out the eight-man field. Matthews is currently close to the top of the league when it comes to total three-pointers made for the season. He, like fellow first-timer Redick, is also on the verge of breaking into the top-100 on the NBA’s all-time list of three-point field goal makes.

Where and When to Watch

The highly anticipated Foot Locker Three-Point Contest is third in the running order of events scheduled for State Farm All-Star Saturday Night, which will kick-off at 8:30 p.m. ET with the Degree Shooting Stars contest. TNT will have live coverage of all the exciting happenings from then until the Sprite Slam Dunk competition brings the curtains down on proceedings.   

Other All-Star Weekend Highlights

Here’s a quick rundown of the other star-studded festivities on the bill.

Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game (Friday @ 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN)

Infamous ball hog Kevin Hart gets cuddly with one of his many MVP trophies.
(Courtesy of chron.com)

Popular comedian and three-time MVP Kevin Hart is among the celebrities who’ll join forces with a clutch of WNBA stars like Skylar Diggins to hoop it up from Madison Square Garden.

BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge (Friday @ 9:00 p.m. ET on TNT)

The Brooklyn Nets’ Barclays Center will play host to this showdown which pits a team of first-and second-year players from the United States against a similarly configured squad featuring rising stars from the rest of the world. Headliners include Minnesota rookie sensation Andrew Wiggins and Giannis “The Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo.  

Degree Shooting Stars (Saturday @ 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT)

Four teams featuring a current NBA star, WNBA star, and an NBA legend will shoot for the crown from Barclays Center.

Taco Bell Skills Challenge (after the Degree Shooting Stars)

Atlanta Hawks floor general Jeff Teague could just be the man to beat.
(Courtesy of cbssports.com)

Eight of the best all-round players in the NBA will show off their dribbling, passing, and shooting skills as they vie for the Skills Challenge trophy at Barclays Center. Pre-event favorites include speedy Atlanta Hawks point guard Jeff Teague and dynamic Toronto point Kyle Lowry.

Sprite Slam Dunk (after the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest)

This year’s slam dunk contest features four up-and-comers – Giannis Antetokounmpo, Minnesota’s Zach LaVine, Orlando’s Victor Oladipo, and Brooklyn’s Mason Plumlee – who’ll be keen to establish themselves as household names with their aerial artistry. Hometown favorite Plumlee, in particular, will be looking to give fans at the Barclays Center something extra special to cheer about.

NBA D-League All-Star Game (Sunday @ 2:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV)

Barclays Center is also the venue at which some of the best players in the NBA’s developmental league will strut their stuff for a worldwide TV audience. Tuning in might just give you a glimpse at a diamond in the rough who could help your favorite NBA team to get over the hump.