The 2024 NBA All-Star Saturday Night at the Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis saw some electrifying highlights across all four events, including a spectacular shooting display and jaw-dropping dunks. Here’s a quick recap of everything that went down.
Team Pacers rule 2024 Kia Skills Challenge
After a tight contest, Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin and Myles Turner of Team Pacers take the crown of the NBA’s Skills Challenge. The hometown team bested other competitors in the field including Team Top Picks (Victor Wembanyama, Paolo Banchero and Anthony Edwards) and Team All-Stars (Trae Young, Tyrese Maxey and Scottie Barnes).
"INDYYYY"
— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2024
Team Pacers lifts the #KiaSkills trophy infront of the home crowd 🙌#StateFarmSaturday on TNT pic.twitter.com/E7AnW3heYQ
Team Pacers got off to a hot start, winning the first two events in the Three-man Relay and Passing Round with a total time of 1:07 (relay) and 92 points (passing round), with each amounting to 100 challenge points. Team All-Stars then got hot in the shooting round to claim the event, which was worth 200 challenge points.
With the score tied at 200 challenge points each, the two teams had a tie-breaker round, which was a half-court shot. Team All-Stars went first and nailed the shot with a total time of 58.8 seconds, but Haliburton and Team Pacers responded to hit their's more than 20 seconds quicker to win the challenge.
HOME TOWN CHAMPS 🏆
— BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) February 18, 2024
Tyrese Haliburton hits the game-winning half-court dagger as the Team Pacers WIN the 2024 NBA Skills Challenge 🙌🏾pic.twitter.com/jpP6fhvswH
This was the second win of All-Star Weekend for the home team, after Mathurin also won the MVP award of the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night.
Damian Lillard wins back-to-back Three-Point Shootout titles
The Milwaukee Bucks' Damian Lillard earned his second-straight Starry Three-Point Contest title in a thriller on Saturday night.
At the final rack and needing just one shot to seal the title, Lillard missed out on his first four attempts before sinking the last shot to defend his crown in style.
DAME TIME ⌚️
— BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) February 18, 2024
Damian Lillard hits 26 treys to take home the 2024 NBA 3-Point Contest🎯
BACK-TO-BACK 🏆pic.twitter.com/0fqcoAPzRI
He became the first back-to-back winner of the event since Jason Kapono, who won in 2007 and 2008.
Lillard was joined by the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns in the final round and both scored 24 points apiece, which set the stage for "Dame Time."
Steph Curry beats Sabrina Ionescu in "Steph vs. Sabrina" Shootout
Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry needed every point he could muster to fend off Sabrina Ionescu of the WNBA’s New York Liberty to win the first-ever NBA vs WNBA 3-Point Challenge.
Ionescu, who set the record for points scored in a Three-Point Shootout with 37, put immense pressure on Curry by tallying 26 points to start the face-off.
SABRINA IONESCU.
— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2024
26 POINTS.
COOKING.
Stephen Curry is up next on TNT! https://t.co/fvM9iOA0ZD pic.twitter.com/nlDCX25eIx
However, the greatest shooter of all-time was not to be deterred as he displayed cold-blooded shooting and ended up with 29 points to win the event.
NIGHT NIGHT 🌙
— BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) February 18, 2024
Stephen Curry WENT OFF with 29 threes to win the inaugural NBA vs. WNBA 3-POINT CHALLENGE 🏆pic.twitter.com/kkOp7bGfHK
The historic first-of-its-kind event was a success, with each made shot triggering a donation from State Farm to the NBA Foundation to support economic empowerment in the Black community.
Mac McClung defends 2024 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest title
Mac McClung saved his best for last as he became the first player since Zach LaVine to win the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest in back-to-back years.
The Osceola Magic guard pulled off a reverse windmill dunk while jumping over NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal to garner the only perfect score of the evening.
HE'S DONE IT AGAIN 🤯
— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2024
Mac McClung is the back-to-back #ATTSlamDunk champion ‼️
Straight 5⃣0⃣'s#StateFarmSaturday on TNT pic.twitter.com/p2sBx7h2IM
McClung defeated the field of competitors that included the Boston Celtics’ and NBA All-Star Jaylen Brown, Miami Heat’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. and New York Knicks’ Jacob Toppin to defend his title.