NBA 3-Point Contest 2018: TV Schedule, Participants and Predicted Winner

The NBA Three-Point Contest will feature a notable omission in the form of Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry. 

This somewhat disappointing absence aside, Saturday night's second affair should offer can't-miss action even the great Larry Bird would want to watch before things switch over to the Slam Dunk Contest. 

Given some of the talent set to put up endless shots from range, though, the event sandwiched in the middle of Saturday's action is much more than an appetizer to something bigger.

With sharpshooters such as Klay Thompson and Devin Booker suiting up, it's destined to be a nail-biting event featuring a part of basketball that has blossomed in importance over recent seasons. 

2018 NBA 3-Point Contest

When: Saturday at 8 p.m. ET 

Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles

TV: TNT

Participants

Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets

Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors 

Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards 

Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder

Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors 

Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns 

Wayne Ellington, Miami Heat 

Tobias Harris, Los Angeles Clippers 

Curry seemed an obvious fit for the three-point contest, though he's decided for the second season in a row to let Thompson handle it. 

For his part, Curry says he isn't done with the contest by any means, according to ESPN.com's Chris Haynes: 

As for Thompson, he failed to repeat as champion a year ago, coughing up the crown to Eric Gordon. 

Still, the Golden State Warriors man is shooting a career-best 45.4 percent from deep this year on an average of just 7.1 tries per game. The outlook can't strictly go by numbers alone, though, not with Gordon only hitting 33.4 of his average of nine attempts per game and winning it all last year. 

Numbers especially are only so important with guys such as Tobias Harris of the Los Angeles Clippers sounding as smooth as it gets while talking about the format of the event, as captured by SiriusXM NBA Radio: 

That format and rules might be a big part of the reason numbers only mean so much. Take Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal, for example, who admits he didn't know the rules going into overtime of a past contest. 

"Well, I want to win," he said, according to Candace Buckner of the Washington Post. "I think the first time around I wanted to win but it was more like getting the experience and feel for it. I feel like it's getting more competitive and more competitive every year with some of the best shooters in the game."

As for the rules, this event is a two-round affair featuring five racks, four with regulation balls, the fifth with the multicolored ball players can place wherever they want around the arc. Players have one minute to shoot and the three top scorers head to the finale. A tiebreaker round goes another full 60 seconds and repeats until a winner emerges. 

Unfortunately, those who want to nail down a prediction for this event will have a hard time justifying anyone besides Thompson. 

Harris might be as cool as a cucumber, Beal might know the rules, Gordon might be the defending champ and everyone else in the contest might be talented—but location is a big deal. 

Thompson, born and raised in Los Angeles, will have a major crowd advantage during this one on top of his gargantuan numbers. He's shooting lights out as it is without entering a pressure-free situation and putting up five two-point balls from wherever he wants on the court. 

This is Thompson's event to lose, and it's hard to imagine he does. 

Prediction: Thompson wins in the second round 

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.