Experts’ picks for Saturday night’s skills competition and Team LeBron vs. Team Durant
NBA All-Star Weekend is underway, as Friday night’s Rising Stars Challenge and celebrity game kicked off the festivities in Cleveland.
But which stars will take home the hardware during All-Star Saturday?
The night begins with a revamped skills challenge, as three teams of three — Team Cavs, Team Antetokounmpo and Team Rooks — face off. Then, four All-Stars — Zach LaVine, Karl-Anthony Towns, Fred VanVleet and Trae Young — headline an eight-player field for the 3-point contest. The night wraps up with a four-player dunk contest, as electrifying rookie Jalen Green and 2021 runner-up Obi Toppin take the stage.
On Sunday, will Team LeBron capture another All-Star Game win? LeBron James has hit all four of his previous All-Star captains’ drafts — will he make it five? Either way, with Cleveland Cavaliers star Darius Garland on LeBron’s roster, the two should have plenty of fun putting on a show for the fans inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Our NBA experts are picking the winners for Saturday and Sunday’s action, including which player will take home the NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP Award.
Jamal Collier
Skills: Team Cavs
3s: Trae Young
Dunks: Jalen Green
Nick DePaula
Skills: Team Rooks
3s: Patty Mills
Dunks: Jalen Green
Nick Friedell
Skills: Team Antetokounmpo
3s: Fred VanVleet
Dunks: Cole Anthony
Israel Gutierrez
Skills: Team Cavs
3s: Karl-Anthony Towns
Dunks: Jalen Green
Andrew Lopez
Skills: Team Antetokounmpo
3s: Zach LaVine
Dunks: Jalen Green
Tim MacMahon
Skills: Team Antetokounmpo
3s: Desmond Bane
Dunks: Jalen Green
Bobby Marks
Skills: Team Cavs
3s: Luke Kennard
Dunks: Jalen Green
Dave McMenamin
Skills: Team Rooks
3s: Zach LaVine
Dunks: Obi Toppin
Kevin Pelton
Skills: Team Cavs
3s: Patty Mills
Dunks: Obi Toppin
Jorge Sedano
Skills: Team Rooks
3s: Trae Young
Dunks: Jalen Green
Ramona Shelburne
Skills: Team Antetokounmpo
3s: Trae Young
Dunks: Jalen Green
André Snellings
Skills: Team Rooks
3s: Karl-Anthony Towns
Dunks: Jalen Green
Marc J. Spears
Skills: Team Rooks
3s: Patty Mills
Dunks: Jalen Green
Ohm Youngmisuk
Skills: Team Antetokounmpo
3s: Luke Kennard
Dunks: Jalen Green
Results:
Skills contest: Team Antetokounmpo 5, Team Cavs 4, Team Rooks 5.
3-point contest: Patty Mills 3, Trae Young 3, Karl Anthony-Towns 2, Zach LaVine 2, Luke Kennard 2, Desmond Bane 1, Fred VanVleet 1.
Dunk contest: Jalen Green 11, Obi Toppin 2, Cole Anthony 1.
Jamal Collier
Team LeBron
MVP: LeBron James
Nick DePaula
Team LeBron
Nick Friedell
Team Durant
MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Israel Gutierrez
Team LeBron
MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Andrew Lopez
Team LeBron
MVP: Darius Garland
Tim MacMahon
Team LeBron
MVP: LeBron James
Bobby Marks
Team Durant
MVP: Devin Booker
Dave McMenamin
Team LeBron
MVP: DeMar DeRozan
Kevin Pelton
Team LeBron
MVP: LeBron James
Jorge Sedano
Team LeBron
MVP: Luka Doncic
Ramona Shelburne
Team LeBron
MVP: DeMar DeRozan
André Snellings
Team LeBron
MVP: LeBron James
Marc J. Spears
Team LeBron
MVP: LeBron James
Ohm Youngmisuk
Team LeBron
MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Results:
Winner: Team LeBron 12, Team Durant 2.
All-Star Game MVP: LeBron James 5, Giannis Antetokounmpo 4, DeMar DeRozan 2, Devin Booker 1, Luka Doncic 1, Darius Garland 1.
http://www.espn.com/espn/rss/news