Tag: NBA All-Star

ICYMI: How did NBA All-Star Weekend go for former Blue Devils?

ICYMI: Jayson Tatum and Paolo Banchero helped lead the Eastern Conference to a 211-186 victory in the NBA All-Star Game over the weekend.

A pair of former Blue Devils, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Orlando’s Paolo Banchero, played in the NBA All-Star Game over the weekend and helped lead the Eastern Conference to a 211-186 victory over the Western Conference.

Tatum was named one of the five starts in the East in his fifth All-Star nod, while Banchero made the NBA’s biggest weekend for the first time in his career. Both of their teams would be in the playoffs if the season ended at the All-Star break, and Tatum’s Celtics have the best record in the league at 43-12.

On top of the two of them sharing the court with legends like LeBron James and Kevin Durant, a third former Duke player got to see the court over the weekend. Dereck Lively II helped lead his team to the Rising Stars Challenge championship.

Here’s a look at how Duke’s biggest NBA stars handled the spotlight of All-Star Weekend, from the game to everything in between.

A San Antonio Spurs-based recap of NBA All-Star Weekend

What went down at NBA All-Star Weekend that involved the San Antonio Spurs?

Rookie big man Victor Wembanyama has played well enough to be an All-Star this season, but the San Antonio Spurs haven’t played at a high enough level for him to get that selection. In turn, he wasn’t able to make the team, but he has plenty of years left and plenty of All-Star selections in his future.

Despite the fact that Wembanyama wasn’t a part of the big game, he was heavily involved in All-Star Weekend. TNT had him on the broadcast, and he was also in the Skills Challenge, teamed up with fellow number-one picks Paolo Banchero and Anthony Edwards.

The Locked on Spurs podcast recently recapped NBA All-Star Weekend from a Spurs perspective.

Wembanyama dropped an F-bomb on the TNT broadcast, and his team got swallowed up in the Skills Challenge, so it wasn’t a perfect weekend for the rookie, but it will surely be one that he will always remember.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Sabrina Ionescu gave Bille Jean King vibes in NBA 3-Point Contest

The 3-Point Contest was reminiscent of the Battle of the Sexes between tennis legends Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973.

During the 2023 WNBA All-Star Weekend, Sabrina Ionescu won the 3-point contest and shattered the record held by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry by amassing 37 points. This set the stage for a head-to-head contest between Ionescu and Curry at the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.

This contest proved one of the highlights of All-Star Weekend. While Ionescu finished with 26 points, Curry won with a solid 29 points. However, the competition was about much more than whomever won. It was about appreciating talented players, despite their gender or league.

Shooters can shoot. Period.

It was reminiscent of the Battle of the Sexes between tennis legends Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973. More than 30,000 people were in attendance at the match, which King won in straight sets — 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 — and took home the $100,000 prize money. But, much like the 3-point contest, the real prize was what it meant for women’s sports and the fight for equality, equity and inclusion.

“I don’t know what’s going to come out of it, but me and Sabrina talked about how cool of an opportunity it is to do something that’s never been done before in our game,” Curry said. “And for her to have a presence on this stage is going to do a lot to inspire the next generation of young boys and girls that want to compete and see themselves in either one of us. Wherever it goes from there, we know we can kind of plant our flag as doing something really special.”

The viewership for NBA All-Star Saturday night was the highest in four years, with an audience peak at 5.4 million viewers from 10-10:15 p.m. ET during the 3-point contest.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=650262099]

NBA All-Star rosters: Here is the full list for the 2024 game (with injury replacements)

This is who will represent the West and the East in Indianapolis.

The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will return to the conference rivalry format and we now know which players will represent the East and West.

Although we already knew the starters after they were announced late last month, seven more players from each conference got the call that they will head to Indianapolis for the game on Feb. 18 as well.

The captains (LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo) remain the same as last year but this year, it is just an honorary distinction. They are denoted below in bold.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]

Injured places are indicated with a strikethrough for their name and injury replacements are indicated with an asterisk.

Otherwise, here’s the full list of East and West All-Stars for you to consult:

The best takes and the sharpest bets on all the hoops storylines you need to know. Sign up for our Layup Lines newsletter, hitting your inbox on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Rookie Brandon Miller eager to build on Hornets’ recent win streak

Brandon Miller and the Hornets are in the midst of their best stretch and will be looking to keep it going following the NBA All-Star break.

Brandon Miller and the Charlotte Hornets are in the midst of their best stretch of the season and look to keep it going following the NBA All-Star break.

The Hornets posted three consecutive wins over the past week by defeating Memphis, Indiana and Atlanta. Their three-game win streak is their longest of the season after defeating those opponents by an average of 13.7 points per game.

Miller has also been on a tear, averaging 22 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals on 40% shooting from 3-point range over his last 16 games. He has scored in double figures in 11 straight games and is second in rookie scoring over that stretch.

He wants to keep building on their recent run.

I know for sure we left off on a great note. We’re just going to keep building off those three wins and hopefully bring a great culture and a great atmosphere to Charlotte.

Miller was among the 11 first-year players selected to compete in the Rising Stars game on Friday. He and his team, which also included Victor Wembanyama, were upset in the semifinal round by the G League roster, who were led by Mac McClung.

The opportunity to play in the annual showcase game was a high point of the season for Miller. He enjoyed the chance to compete against and get to know some of the top up-and-coming players in the game throughout the festivities in Indianapolis, Indiana.

“I think just being around new people,” Miller said on Friday. “These are not my normal teammates, so just meeting the new guys and faces in the NBA, I think, is good for bonds off of the court. It is a great event to have for the bonding.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=650262099]

2024 All-Star Game: Lineups and broadcast info for Sunday

2024 All-Star Game: Lineups and broadcast info for Sunday.

INDIANAPOLIS — The 2024 All-Star game will feature the West playing the East on Sunday, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

The league has returned to the traditional conference matchup after spending recent years conducting drafts. Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James were selected as captains of their respective squads.’

Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander received his first career All-Star starter nod. This comes a year after he received his first career All-Star selection.

In 53 games, he’s averaged 31.1 points on 54.6% shooting, 6.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds. The Thunder (37-17) are one game back from the first seed in the Western Conference standings.

NBA Slam Dunk Contest: Mac McClung goes back-to-back to win trophy

Mac McClung defeated Jaylen Brown in the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday to take home the trophy for the second straight year.

Osceola Magic guard Mac McClung defeated Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown in the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday to take home the trophy for the second straight year in Indianapolis, Indiana.

McClung and Brown advanced to the final round after out-dunking Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. and New York Knicks rookie Jacob Toppin. He was awarded a perfect score of 50 by the judges in his second dunk of the final round to defeat Brown.

The defending champion brought out Shaquille O’Neal for his last dunk. McClung presented O’Neal with one of his high school jerseys, which fit the Hall of Famer perfectly, and then jumped over him, slamming the ball through the rim.

The competition featured several notable dunks and tributes. Jaquez paid homage to his Mexican heritage on one dunk, with an assist from the LED court, and Toppin wore the same shoes his brother, Obi, wore when he won the contest in 2022.

Brown honored former Kentucky guard Terrence Clarke, who died in a car accident in April 2021. The All-Star has honored Clarke in the past and donned his No. 5 Brewster Academy jersey with his first dunk of the final round.

The evening featured plenty of reaction from the crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium. The panel of judges, which featured Gary Payton and Dominique Wilkins, took some heat for seemingly grading too low on some dunks, which was noted by Reggie Miller and Kenny Smith on TNT.

Despite some low moments from the judges, the event produced several highlight-worthy jams that provided plenty of entertainment. Here are all of the dunk attempts from the four contestants.

Victor Wembanyama offers high praise for Magic All-Star Paolo Banchero

Magic forward Paolo Banchero is a first-time All-Star this season, though at least one of his peers believes he is a bit underrated.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero is a first-time All-Star this season, though at least one of his peers believes the reigning Rookie of the Year is underrated: Victor Wembanyama.

The top pick of the San Antonio Spurs gave Banchero praise on Friday after competing in the Rising Stars game at NBA All-Star Weekend. Though the two players didn’t face each other in the exhibition, they have already played twice in the regular season.

The Magic took both meetings against the Spurs; Banchero played a key role in each victory. Wembanyama was asked about Banchero and was happy to talk about the No. 1 pick in 2022.

I’m surprised nobody asked me (about him) before. I’m kind of happy someone finally did because I think he is one of the most underrated players and No. 1 picks in the past years. I don’t even understand why. But he is someone that I think has a bright future.

Banchero became the ninth Magic player to be named an All-Star. He joined Shaquille O’Neal as the only two players in franchise history to be named Rookie of the Year and then an All-Star in the following season. He is the youngest All-Star and one of four first-time selections this year.

He is averaging a career-high 23 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.1 steals on 36.5% shooting from 3-point range. He is 21st in the league in scoring and has produced nine 30-point games, the most by a Magic player since Nikola Vucevic (9) in the 2020-21 season.

Banchero had the opportunity to team up with Wembanyama on Saturday in the Skills Challenge in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was a bit surprised to learn that Wembanyama believes he is underrated, though doesn’t necessarily concern himself too much with that premise.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t (believe I was underrated), but it is what it is,” Banchero said. “I still went No. 1, Rookie of the Year, so I can’t complain too much. As a competitor and player, you do feel slighted in a way sometimes, but I don’t let it get to my head too much. I try to just go out there and put on a show every night.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=650262099]

NBA Skills Challenge 2024: Pacers win title, defeating 1st Picks, All-Stars

The hometown Indiana Pacers won the 2024 NBA Skills Challenge on Saturday, defeating the 1st Picks and All-Stars at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The hometown Indiana Pacers won the 2024 NBA Skills Challenge on Saturday, defeating the 1st Picks and All-Stars at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Pacers, which featured Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin and Myles Turner, took the relay and passing challenges for 200 points. They were taken to the tiebreaker round after Scottie Barnes, Tyrese Maxey and Trae Young won the shooting portion for the All-Stars.

After each finished with 200 points, the Pacers and All-Stars attempted halfcourt shots to settle the tie. The Pacers beat the All-Stars’ mark when Haliburton drained the shot with 20.5 seconds left to spare.

The Pacers and All-Stars emerged as the top two groups in the event, as Paolo Banchero, Anthony Edwards and Victor Wembanyama struggled in the first two challenges for 1st Picks. Edwards even shot left-handed in the relay event, which didn’t sit well with Reggie Miller on the broadcast.

The home team had its fans behind them and easily had the biggest ovation of the three groups. Haliburton even paid homage to Miller by recreating his infamous choking celebration after knocking down the halfcourt shot to beat the All-Stars.

The Skills Challenge tipped off the festivities on Saturday night and continued a busy weekend as the league celebrated its stars with the annual showcase.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=650262099]

Mavericks’ Dereck Lively II had an awesome reaction to meeting Sabrina Ionescu

Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II met Sabrina Ionescu at NBA All-Star Weekend and had an awesome reaction to seeing her.

Dallas Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II met Sabrina Ionescu at NBA All-Star Weekend and had an awesome reaction to seeing the New York Liberty guard in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Lively recounted the story on Friday after helping Team Jalen to the championship victory in the Rising Stars game. With so many stars attending the festivities, Lively said it was meeting Ionescu that stood out the most so far.

Ionescu will face Stephen Curry in the Stephen vs. Sabrina 3-Point Challenge on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium. Lively wished the two-time WNBA All-Star luck in the competition and even thanked her for helping design a comfortable signature shoe.

I’ve seen Sabrina and giving her a hug, I wished her the best of luck. I’m waiting to see who is going to come out on top in that one. I’d definitely say that was the one that had me shocked because she was like, ‘Thank you for wearing my shoes.’ I’m like, ‘Of course! Thank you for making them that comfortable.’

Nike released the Sabrina 1 last year, making Ionescu the 12th WNBA player to have a signature shoe. The sneaker was an instant hit among WNBA and NBA players; Cade Cunningham, Jrue Holiday, Lively and Anfernee Simons are wearing them regularly.

Making a unisex shoe was very important for Ionescu and Nike. Players enjoy the different colorways available and how comfortable they are, as Lively said. Ionescu has served as a tremendous role model, which only further grew with the release of her shoe.

To see her shoes worn by everyone has been gratifying for Ionescu.

“I told Dereck: Thank you for wearing my shoes,” Ionescu said on Saturday, according to Rob Peterson of The Athletic. “To be able now to hear that he was excited about that interaction means a lot to me. It is an honor and humbling to know that.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=650262099]