NBA All-Star Weekend 2015: TV Schedule, Live Stream Info and Predictions
Your significant other better not be making too big of plans for Valentine's Day because the weekend will be spent watching the NBA.
While the All-Star Game is not until Sunday, the action lasts three nights, with various contests and events to keep you entertained. Even casual fans of the NBA can enjoy the variety of competitions with the biggest stars in the sport.
With all of the action taking place at the mecca of basketball in Madison Square Garden, there is even more excitement surrounding the weekend.
Here is a look at the full schedule for the three days in New York City, with a breakdown of the more notable events.
| Event | Time (ET) | TV |
| All-Star Celebrity Game | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Rising Stars Challenge | 9 p.m. | TNT |
| Shooting Stars | 8:30 p.m. (1st Event) | TNT |
| Skills Challenge | 2nd Event | TNT |
| Three-Point Contest | 3rd Event | TNT |
| Slam Dunk Contest | 4th Event | TNT |
| All-Star Game | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
All TNT events can be viewed online courtesy of TNT Overtime. The Celebrity All-Star Game can be seen at Watch ESPN.
All-Star Saturday
| Marco Belinelli (San Antonio Spurs) | Kyle Korver (Atlanta Hawks) |
| Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) | Wesley Matthews (Portland Trail Blazers) |
| James Harden (Houston Rockets) | J.J. Redick (Los Angeles Clippers) |
| Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers) | Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors) |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) | Victor Oladipo (Orlando Magic) |
| Zach LaVine (Minnesota Timberwolves) | Mason Plumlee (Brooklyn Nets) |
While baseball has the Home Run Derby, it's hard for any sport to compete with the NBA All-Star Saturday Night. Four different competitions with increasing levels of excitement will be as entertaining as ever.
The action starts with a shooting stars competition that pairs one current player, one retired player and one WNBA player:
Although Chris Bosh has won the event twice, it's hard to bet against the father and son team of Stephen and Dell Curry. Even Seth Curry would be able to hit open shots if given a chance.
This will be followed by the skills competition, usually featuring some of the best guards in the NBA. This year's group is mostly younger challengers, but all of them are hungry to show they belong in the conversation as tops at their position.
Interesting enough, this year will feature a head-to-head bracket of eight players, as seen here:
Between all of the players, the winner will likely be a point guard with quickness and great passing skills. Based on the way Jeff Teague has played this year, he seems like a good bet.
Up next will be the three-point contest, which is usually overlooked—but not this season. The current field is as loaded as anything we have seen in recent years with truly the best shooters in the league, all of which having great seasons.
Kyrie Irving and Marco Belinelli represent the last two champions, but this year's winner has to go to the person who seemingly doesn't miss anymore: Kyle Korver. Even with two elite shooters on his own team, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was impressed with what Korver has done this year:
With no one guarding him, he should be able to put up some serious numbers that will be tough for any of the contenders to catch.
This leaves the dunk contest, which is always the favorite for the fans. Although the contestants are not as high profile as they have been in past years, this will be a chance for them to move into the spotlight.
Out of the field, it's hard to pick anyone besides Zach LaVine, who has already shown his pure athleticism as a rookie this season. Chris Webber has noticed the guard's bounciness:
We should all be expecting a big showing from LaVine to take home the top prize.
Predicted Winners:
- Shooting Stars: Team Curry
- Skills Competition: Jeff Teague
- 3-Point Contest: Kyle Korver
- Dunk Contest: Zach LaVine
All-Star Game
While both teams obviously have great players, only one side is suited for an exhibition of this nature.
The NBA All-Star Game is meant for exciting offensive performances that includes brilliant shooting and incredible athleticism. This isn't good for the Eastern Conference representatives that got there on the merit of defense and team play.
Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler are players any coach would want, while the group of four players representing the Atlanta Hawks fully deserves its spots after dominating the first half of the season. That being said, none of them are truly expected to have huge games Sunday.
On the other hand, the Western Conference has more exciting playmakers on the roster, and it only gets better with the latest injury replacements to the starting lineup, per Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders:
These players, combined with Curry, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and others, should be able to put up some big numbers to help the West get over the top in this showdown.
Prediction: West 148, East 141; MVP: Kevin Durant
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