While the Super Bowl is the hottest topic in sports this weekend, the NBA All-Star game is right around the corner, and there is plenty to be excited about. The game is going back to the East VS. West format, which was last played in 2017, with the West defeating the East 192-182. New Orleans Pelicans and current Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis was awarded the MVP.
The weekend begins on Friday the 16th with the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. This game has given social media plenty to remember, and this year will hopefully be no short of entertaining moments. Some notable names competing in this year’s game include NFL superstars Micah Parsons and CJ Stroud, former NBA player Metta World Peace, Indy Car driver Connor Daly, award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson, and many more. Coaches for this game include football legends Shannon Sharpe and Peyton Manning, ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith, WNBA superstar A’ja Wilson, and hip-hip deities 50 Cent and Lil Wayne. Safe to say this event will be highly entertaining and full of the unexpected.
Arguably more entertaining than the All-Star game itself, are the 3-Point and Slam Dunk contests. Over the years, these competitions have given us some of the most memorable performances and moments. And this year, these events won’t fall short of what’s expected. It’s hard to predict these contests because anyone can really take the cake here. Last year’s dunk contest winner, Mac McClung, will be participating in this year’s event, alongside Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown, Jamie Jaquez Jr (Miami Heat), and G-League player Jacob Toppin. I’m going to take the easy way out of this one. McClung won the contest last year, and he’ll win it again this year.
The field for the 3-Point contest is no short of spectacular, as usual. To everyone’s surprise, the greatest 3-point shooter, Steph Curry, will not be in the field for this year’s contest. Curry has his own contest, where he will be facing off against WNBA superstar Sabrina Ionescu. However, this year’s field of shooters will hopefully not disappoint. Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers stands out to me, and he may be looking to put on a show and solidify himself as one of the game’s best. So, I have the Cavs star taking the dub for the 3-Point showdown.
This year’s star-studded matchup will take place on Sunday, February 18th, in Indianapolis. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) and Lebron James (Los Angeles Lakers) were voted as captains of their respective conferences. For the East, Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), and Damian Lillard (Milwaukee Bucks) complete the rest of the starting five. On the West, Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns), Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets), Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks), and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder) round out the remaining four starting spots.
The NBA announced it is going back to the original All-Star timing and scoring format of four, 12-minute quarters with no target score. Like many others, I’m expecting a high-scoring offensive shootout, as the All-Star game is known for not being a defensive battle. You’ll have to go back all the way to 1954 for the last time the winning team scored under 100 points. This could go either way, as this game is loaded with talent all capable of taking over and making big plays. The West has dominated over the last 15 years, so I say it’s time for the East to take the crown. As for who will be awarded MVP, that gets a little trickier. Because I have the East winning, the MVP would most likely go to an East starter. Giannis has played phenomenally all year, and he’ll have a great performance Sunday night, so I have him taking the MVP.
This year’s all-star game will hopefully not fall short of expectations. High-scoring, flashy dunks, and passes, unlikely alliances between the associations best. It will be a great weekend of basketball before we go into two months of madness.
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