NBA All-Star 2024: Dunk Contest, 3-Point Contest, “Steph vs. Sabrina” preview & predictions

Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

Let’s give out our predictions for the dunk contest, 3-point contest, and more on All-Star Saturday.

The 2024 NBA All-Star Game will be a celebration of the biggest stars in today’s game, with so many living legends gracing the court together to put on a show for the fans. Before the All-Star Game tips off on Sunday, the NBA Slam Dunk Contest and 3-Point Contest will serve as the appetizer on Saturday night. All-Star Saturday will also feature “Stephen vs. Sabrina,” a special three-point shootout between Stephen Curry and WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu.

The defending champions in both the dunk contest and three-point contest are back in the contests this year. Damian Lillard is starting the NBA All-Star Game for the first time in his career as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, and he’s also back in the three-point contest after winning it a year ago with the Portland Trail Blazers. Mac McClung, a G League guard with the Orlando Magic affiliate, is back in the dunk contest to defend his thrilling title last year.

NBA All-Star Saturday 2024 will begin with the Kia Skills Challenge, then go to the Starry 3-Point Contest, then the “Stephen vs. Sabrina 3-Point Challenge,” and will conclude with the AT&T Slam Dunk. Festivities get underway at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17 and will be broadcast on TNT.

Let’s break down the field for each competition.

NBA 3-Point Contest 2024 rules, TV time, predictions, and more

The 2024 Starry 3-Point Contest will be the second event of All-Star Saturday following the Skills Challenge. There is no exact start time for the event, but you can expect it to begin some time between 8:30 and 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 17.

The field for the 3-Point Contest is loaded. It’s get into it.

Malik Beasley, Milwaukee Bucks: Beasley is one of the league’s great shooting specialists. He’s been on fire from behind the three-point line in his first season with the Milwaukee Bucks, knocking down 44.9 percent of 6.4 attempts per game.

Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks: Brunson is making the first All-Star appearance of his career thanks in large part to his improvement as a three-point shooter. The Knicks star is making 41.1 percent of his threes on 6.5 attempts per game. His 139 made three-pointers this season is already a career-high.

Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers: Haliburton leads the NBA in assists per game. He’s making 40 percent of his three-pointers on 7.9 attempts per game, too. He’s become one of the best offensive players in the league this year, and he’s stamped himself as the NBA’s point guard of the future.

Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks: Lillard is the reigning champion. He’s having one of the worst shooting season of his career, and has been in a major slump lately. For the season, Lillard is making 34.4 percent of his threes on 8.4 attempts per game — both numbers are a big drop-off from last season in Portland. Can the 33-year-old get back on track in this contest?

Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz: Markkanen is one of two 7-footers the competition. The Jazz forward has made huge strides as a shooter since arriving in Utah, which has helped unlock a major leap in his offensive game. He’s making 40.4 percent of his threes on eight attempts per game this year.

Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers: Mitchell’s electric play has carried the Cavs near the top of the East standings despite injuries to so many key players this season. Known more for his driving ability and rim finishing, Mitchell is also a very good shooter. He’s making 36.1 percent of his threes this season on 9.1 attempts per game.

Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves: KAT is the other 7-footer in the field. He won this contest in 2022, and like Lillard, Mitchell, Haliburton, Brunson, and Trae Young, he’s a member of the 2024 All-Star team. He’s making 43.6 percent of his threes on 5.2 attempts per game this season.

Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks: Young is an injury replacement for the All-Star Game, but he had a strong case to make the roster outright despite Atlanta’s underwhelming season. Young has had a major bounce-back season shooting the ball after a major slump to start last year. He’s making 37.1 percent of his threes on nine attempts per game.

Find the full rules and format for the 2024 NBA 3-Point Contest here. Important things to remember:

Each competitor has 70 seconds per round. There are 27 balls on the course.
Each rack will include one “money ball,” which is worth two points. Regular balls are worth one point.
There will be one all money ball rack, that competitors can place wherever they want.
Two racks will be positioned at deep shot locations from the wings.
The three players with the highest scores advance to the Championship Round.

NBA 3-Point Contest 2024 prediction

I’m going to take Markkanen. He shoots such an easy ball from deep, and he’s been on fire since the calendar flipped to 2024.

NBA Dunk Contest 2024: Predictions and preview

The NBA Slam Dunk Contest will be the final event of the night. The event features one All-Star, one standout rookie, and two G League players. Let’s meet the field.

Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics: Hey, the dunk contest has some star power this year! Good on Brown for agreeing to compete, hopefully that will convince more big names to join in the future. Brown has long been a great in-game dunker, so it will be fun to see his more creative side in this contest.

Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami Heat: Jaquez has been one of the five best rookies in the league so far this year. The No. 18 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft has hit the ground running in Miami has a stellar four-year college career at UCLA. Jaquez already has 24 dunks this year. The rook can definitely get up:

Jacob Toppin, Westchester Knicks: The younger brother of Pacers forward Obi Toppin, Jacob Toppin is currently playing for the Knicks’ G League affiliate after spending his last two years of college at Kentucky. He’s appeared in five games this year with the Knicks’ main club. The dude has effortless bounce:

Mac McClung, Osceola Magic: McClung put on a show to win last year’s dunk contest. The highlights speak for themselves:

The dunk contest is a two-round competition. The two dunkers with the highest score in round one advance to the final. Dunkers will throw down two dunks in each round. Find the full dunk contest rules here.

NBA Dunk Contest predictions

Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

I’m really tempted to go with Jaquez because his high school dunk contest performance back in the day was awesome. With that said, I can’t bet against McClung, who is probably working on this event all year. I’m back Mac McClung to go back-to-back and win the 2024 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

“Stephen vs. Sabrina” 3-Point Challenge: Predictions, format

Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu are competing in a three-point shootout that will take place after the 3-Point Contest and before the dunk contest. Ionescu scored 37 out of a possible 40 points during her legendary run in the WNBA three-point contest last season.

Here’s the format:

Prediction: I have huge respect for the player Ionescu has become on the Liberty, but I’m not taking anyone in the world over Stephen Curry in a shooting contest. Gimme Steph.

NBA Skills Challenge 2024: Preview, start time, predictions,

All-Star Saturday will begin with the Skills Challenge. Let’s meet the teams and review the format:

Team Pacers

Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers), Bennedict Mathurin (Pacers), Myles Turner (Pacers)

Team Top Picks

Paolo Banchero (Magic), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)

Team All-Stars

Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Tyrese Maxey (76ers), Trae Young (Hawks)

NBA Skills Challenge rules, explained

You can read the full rules and format on the Skills Challenge here. Here’s what you need to know.

The Skills Challenge is a three-round competition with three teams and three players on each team. The team with the most “Challenge Points” at the end of the contest is the winner.
Round one is the Team Relay, where players will go through a timed course and will need to complete an outlet pass, dribble through cones, a short shot, a corner three, and a dunk or layup.
Round two is the team passing competition, where players who will make different passes at different targets.
Round three is the team shooting contest. Teams will have 60 seconds to shoot with one ball and make shots from different spots on the court.

NBA Skill Challenge prediction

I’ll take Team All-Stars to win.

How to watch NBA All-Star Saturday: TV times, streaming, and more

What: NBA All-Star Saturday

When: Saturday, Feb. 17

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV and streaming: TNT

Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis