The 2024 NBA All-Star Saturday night featured several exciting contests that wowed the crowd in Indianapolis. From the Skills Challenge to the Slam Dunk Contest, the league’s biggest stars put on a show.
Here is a rundown of the winners and losers from all the contests:
Winners
Tyrese Haliburton
The Indiana Pacers guard was one of the standouts on Saturday night. Haliburton teamed up with Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin to give Team Pacers the Skills Challenge crown.
He scored 26 points in the 3-point contest before getting eliminated in the tiebreaker round.
Mac McClung
The G League guard electrified the crowd by becoming the first player to repeat as Slam Dunk champion since Nate Robinson in 2009-10.
McClung scored a perfect 50 with his final jam when he leaped over Shaquille O’Neal.
Damian Lillard
Lillard defended his All-Star 3-point title in thrilling fashion, sinking his final shot to edge Trae Young and Karl-Anthony Towns.
The Bucks guard joins Jason Kapono as the only players to win back-to-back 3-point contests.
Stephen Curry
In the first showdown between an NBA and WNBA player, Curry outdueled Sabrina Ionescu to claim the mixed 3-point shooting title. Curry was scorching hot down the stretch to finish with 29 points compared to 26 for Ionescu.
Losers
Jaylen Brown
The Boston Celtics forward was the runner-up in the Slam Dunk Contest battle against McClung.
Brown‘s performance was met with mixed reactions from the fans as he appeared to come totally unprepared.
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Jaquez had the most talked-about dunk of the first round when he leaped over Shaq. But his scores of 47.4 and 46.8 weren’t enough to advance to the final round.
Sabrina Ionescu
Ionescu represented the WNBA well, sinking shot after shot early on to put pressure on Curry. But she couldn’t keep up her torrid shooting pace, missing her final three attempts to finish runner-up.
Skills Challenge
Team Pacers took home the bragging rights in the Skills Challenge, needing to win two tiebreakers before Haliburton sank a half-court shot to seal the victory.
The Indiana trio of Haliburton, Turner and Mathurin showed tremendous teamwork in the early relay round. Then in the passing challenge, Team Pacers poured in 92 points compared to 90 for Team All-Stars in a narrow win.
That set up a thrilling finale in the half-court shooting round. After Team All-Stars needed 58.8 seconds to make their shot, Haliburton calmly drained his attempt to clinch it for the Pacers.
Additional Skills Challenge Winners & Losers
Winners
- Myles Turner – Had some nice dishes in relay round
- Bennedict Mathurin – Closed out passing round in style
Losers
3-Point Contest
Damian Lillard etched his name in the history books by becoming the first player since Jason Kapono (2007-08) to win back-to-back 3-point titles.
Lillard was clutch down the stretch, sinking 4-of-5 shots including his final attempt to earn 26 points. That edged out Trae Young and Karl-Anthony Towns, who each scored 24 in the final round.
In one of the highlight events of the night, Stephen Curry outdueled WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu to win the mixed 3-point competition. Ionescu came out hot and had the crowd buzzing as she sank her first nine shots. But Curry caught fire late, hitting his final six attempts to finish with 29 points, three more than Ionescu.
Additional 3-Point Contest Winners & Losers
Winners
- Sabrina Ionescu – Showed she belonged vs. NBA’s best
- Lauri Markkanen – Led first round with 25 points
Losers
- Tyrese Haliburton – Couldn’t advance despite 26 points
- Donovan Mitchell – Scored just 21 points in first round exit
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Slam Dunk Contest
Mac McClung sent the crowd into a frenzy by becoming the first repeat Slam Dunk champion since Nate Robinson (2009-10).
McClung saved his best for last, leaping over Shaquille O’Neal for a perfect 50 on his final dunk. That came after McClung jumped over two people for a score of 48 earlier in the final round.
Boston‘s Jaylen Brown electrified in defeat, jumping over Kai Cenat in the opening round before leaping over Donovan Mitchell in the finals. But his scores of 49.2 and 48.6 came up just shy of McClung‘s marks.
Additional Slam Dunk Contest Winners & Losers
Winners
- Jacob Toppin– Showed his skills on the big stage
- Mac McClung – Jumped 2 people and Shaq
Losers
- Jalen Brown – Didn’t satisfy the fans with his performance
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. – Only scored 47.4 after jumping over Shaq
Takeaways
From jaw-dropping dunks to long-range sharpshooting, the 2024 All-Star Saturday delivered plenty of highlights for the sold-out crowd.
The Pacers stole the show early, working together seamlessly to take the Skills Challenge crown. But the rest of the night belonged to the NBA’s biggest individual stars.
Lillard showed why he’s arguably the league’s most lethal shooter by defending his 3-point title. Meanwhile, McClung made history by pulling off an unprecedented repeat in the Dunk Contest.
The evening also featured special crossover events, with Curry topping Ionescu‘s sharpshooting display. That entertaining battle proved stars from both the NBA and WNBA can captivate on the same stage.
With thrills, chills and plenty of spills, NBA All-Star Saturday once again showcased the incredible skill and showmanship that makes the league a fan favorite.
Sources:
www.foxsports.com/live-blog/nba/2024-nba-all-star-weekend-live-updates-skills-challenge-3-point-contest-dunk-contest
eu.indystar.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2024/02/17/nba-all-star-weekend-slam-dunk-3-point-contest-skills-competition-updates-tv-schedule/72598118007/
