NBA All-Star Weekend 2017: Updated TV, Live-Stream Schedule and Predictions
Did you enjoy the NBA Celebrity Game? How about the Rising Stars Challenge? Well, there's more to come for the 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend. Typically, Saturday night's events featuring the best shooters and dunkers highlight the weekend. Who or what will steal the show this year?
Looking back on Friday night, the well-known YouTube NBA player imitator Brandon Armstrong won the MVP award for the celebrity game. However, Jarrius Robertson, a 14-year-old with chronic liver disease, provided the best highlight of the night when he scored on one attempt as a surprise contributor in the fourth quarter for the West squad.
ESPN anchor Jemele Hill coached the East celebrities to victory over colleague and co-host Michael Smith in an 88-59 blowout.
In the Rising Stars Challenge, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray rose above all his peers to capture MVP honors. He shot 9-of-14 from three-point range for the World team. He caught fire after Frank Kaminsky's hot hand cooled off for the U.S.A team in the second half.
What should we expect over the next two days, and where can you tune into the action?
| Event | Date | Time (ET) | TV | Live Stream | Predicted Winner |
| Skills Challenge | Saturday, Feb. 18 | 8 p.m. (1st Event) | TNT | Watch TNT | Isaiah Thomas |
| Three-Point Contest | Saturday, Feb. 18 | 2nd Event | TNT | Watch TNT | C.J. McCollum |
| Slam Dunk Contest | Saturday, Feb. 18 | 3rd Event | TNT | Watch TNT | Derrick Jones Jr. |
| NBA All-Star Game | Sunday, Feb. 19 | 8 p.m. | TNT | Watch TNT | Western Conference |
Skills Challenge: Bigs vs. Smalls
At every possible turn, Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas will attempt to prove a point about his skill and ability to perform at a high level.
Last year, a few participants in the Skills Challenge didn’t seem to take the competition seriously. Thomas went for the jugular, but he finished as a runner-up to Minnesota Timberwolves big Karl-Anthony Towns.
There's no shame in losing a competition to one of the brightest young stars in the league. However, expect Thomas to approach this contest as unfinished business.
Though it’s a light-hearted competition, Thomas has been fixated on responding to his critics:
With something to prove on a competitive level, he's a clear-cut favorite to win.
3-Point Contest
After watching Murray rain three-pointers in the Rising Stars Challenge, it's almost guaranteed he'll show up in this contest next year. As for the 2017 contestants, Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson will defend his crown.
All the pressure falls on Thompson’s shoulders as the lone participant from his team in the event. Several contestants have displayed volume as well as efficiency in their three-point shooting. Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors), C.J. McCollum (Portland Trail Blazers), Nick Young (Los Angeles Lakers) and Thompson shoot above 40 percent from three-point range. The winner will emerge from that group.
With all the pressure on Thompson to repeat, McCollum will snatch the three-point crown. After showing off his sideline-reporting skills on Friday night, the Blazers guard will set the net on fire Saturday night.
Dunk Contest
You can probably rule out Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan as a potential winner. He's an in-game dunker who puts smaller opponents on posters. Jordan could also come out and surprise the audience as the most impressive big to dunk since Dwight Howard, who won the 2008 competition, but it's unlikely.
Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon will compete in the favorites lane as the only experienced Slam Dunk Contest participant. However, he can't recycle the dunks we all saw a year ago. The onus falls on Gordon's creativity and showmanship to provide a spectacular encore presentation.
As the only player to compete in the D-league and the Slam Dunk Contest within the same year, Phoenix Suns forward Derrick Jones Jr. could take it a step further into the limelight and win the contest. He's not dealing with a regular-season burnout or overexposure to his dunking style.
Take Jones as the underdog over Gordon. The judges will want to see something different. If Gordon's dunks look remotely similar to last year's, he’s going to struggle with Jones in the final round. The Suns' young high-flyer should claim the dunk title in an upset.
66th NBA All-Star Game
Most people can't mention Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook without following with a question or remark about Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant.
Aside from an ongoing saga between the former teammates, Westbrook could earn his third NBA All-Star Game MVP honor:
What better feeling than to outplay your former teammate and hoist the MVP award as the standout among star players. All-Star accolades hold no significance toward the regular season or playoffs, but Westbrook has subliminally thrown shots at Durant since the latter joined the Warriors last summer.
Russell's playing style won’t allow him to take his foot off the gas in a game loaded with star alpha-type players. He's going to attack the hoop full speed ahead without breaks while still harboring anger toward a former teammate. The Western All-Stars will win the game, and Westbrook should finish with his third All-Star MVP honor.
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