NBA All-Star Saturday recap: Steph Curry vs Sabrina Ionescu, 3-point, slam dunk contest

The NBA All-Star weekend festivities are well underway as we head into Saturday.

Tonight there will be the skills competition, two 3-point contests and the slam dunk competition. There will be plenty of representation from Indiana Pacers stars like Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin. Haliburton will participate in two events.

Dustin Dopirak, Gregg Doyel, Nathan Brown and Nate Atkins will have analysis throughout the night, and we will have updates, highlights and more from the various events.

Want more All-Star weekend coverage? Follow reporters Rory Appleton, Alexandria Burris, Jake Allen and Cheryl V. Jackson.  Please remember to refresh.

Pacers win All-Star Skills Challenge, eye playoff run

Only time will tell how all this ancillary winning will ready the Indiana Pacers for serious do-or-die action come April and May (and perhaps even June?), but the team’s trio of stars say they're taking every opportunity to learn what it’s like to win and feed off a raucous home crowd in hopes of making a push come playoff time.

After this winter’s run to the finals of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament that included wins over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks – consistently four of the top-5 teams in the East all season – Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin edged out a pair of tiebreakers to win Saturday night’s Skills Challenge at Lucas Oil Stadium as part of this weekend’s NBA All-Star weekend festivities.

Read more from Nathan Brown.

Announcer Kenny Smith mixes up former Pacer Darnell Hillman's name

During the Slam Dunk contest, announcer Kenny Smith brought up Darnell Hillman, or at least he tried to. Reggie Miller provided Smith with the correct information thankfully. Hillman played for the Pacers from 1971 until 1977 and won two ABA titles in Indiana.

Mac McClung beats Jaylen Brown, repeats as AT&T Slam Dunk champion

Mac McClung scored a 50 by dunking over Shaq to beat Jaylen Brown in the finals. It is McClung's second title in a row.

Mac McClung dunks over two people in final round

Jaylen Brown and Mac McClung advance in Slam Dunk Contest

Jaime Jaquez Jr., who dunked over 7-1 Shaquille O'Neal, was eliminated. Jaylen Brown and Mac McClung are in the finals.

Colts tight end Mo-Allie Cox isn't a fan of the Slam Dunk Contest judges

Jaime Jaquez Jr. jumps over Shaq in Slam Dunk Contest

Midwsay through the first round, Jaylen Brown of the Celtics leads with 48.8 points. Mac McClung of the Osceola Magic (G-League) is second with 48.0 points, followed by Jacob Toppin of the Kicks (47.8) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the Heat (47.4). Top two advance.

Steph Curry wins 3-point contest against Sabrina Ionescu

Sabrina Ionescu shot first and had 26 points. While that looked like a winnable score for a little bit, Steph Curry got hot late and ended with 29 points.

Stephen Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu up next

This will be the first time an NBA player will take on a WNBA player in a 3-point contest at All-Star weekend. Read more from Chloe Peterson on how it came to be.

Damian Lillard defends Starry 3-point contest championship

Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks is a back-to-back 3-point champion. He's the first to achieve that feat since Jason Kapono did it in 2007 and 2008.

Tyrese Haliburton eliminated from 3-point contest

Defending champion Damian Lillard, Trae Young and Karl-Anthony Towns advanced to the finals. Haliburton came up just short.

Tyrese Haliburton puts up 26 points in opening round of 3-point contest

Tyrese Haliburton is in a four-way tie for the lead with 26 points.

Tyrese Haliburton does Reggie Miller 'choking' impression after NBA All-Star Skills Competition

Pacers dominate Skills Competition

Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin won the All-Star Skills Competition. Split into several categories, the Pacers took the passing challenge with a tiebreaker. Haliburton then hit a half-court shot to win the whole thing.

Keith Urban gives stellar All-Star weekend show amid a basketball court and a Kia

Walker Hayes and Keith Urban performed as part of the Crossover concert series. Read Rory Appleton's review.

Team Pacers start Skills Competition with a bang

The first round went to the Pacers and included a fun Tyrese Haliburton play to end it.

NBA All-Star Saturday night has LED court at Lucas Oil Stadium

Curious about the new LED court that has been showcased during All-Star weekend? Developed by ASB GlassFloor, the digitized court can add embellishments, like tracking players' movements with a trail of stars, showing statistics and animating key plays, said Carlton Myers, the NBA's senior vice president and head of live production and entertainment, during a Thursday media tour.

Read more from Domenica Bongiovanni.

Tyrese Haliburton calls 65-game rule 'stupid.' NBA commissioner won't say it's not working

It doesn't sound like NBA commissioner Adam Silver is ready to support changing the rule Indiana Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton called "stupid."

Before this season, the league instituted a rule that requires players to appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for postseason awards, including All-NBA. If Haliburton makes an All-NBA team – and as a starter in Sunday's All-Star game he would appear to be in line for that – he is eligible for an additional $53 million in his contract extension.

Haliburton has missed 13 of his allowed 17 games and told the Old Man & The Three Podcast with former NBA player J.J. Redick there was "no question" he felt a sense of urgency when he returned from a hamstring injury on Jan. 19. Haliburton sat out the five games after that appearance.

Read more from Nat Newell.

In interview with Reggie Miller, Isiah Thomas says Larry Bird 'made a mistake firing me'

Should Larry Bird have fired Isiah Thomas as head coach of the Indiana Pacers in 2003?

Thomas believes it was a mistake. In an NBA on TNT segment with Reggie Miller, Thomas and Bird, the former Detroit Pistons All-Star opened up about being let go over 20 years ago.

"I get a call from Donnie (Walsh)," Thomas said. "Larry's been hired to come back to the Pacers as president of basketball operations. I walk in the office and there's Larry and Donnie. Larry goes, 'Hey, Isiah, I think you've done a great job here but I've decided to go in a different direction. I'm going to let you know go and I'm going to bring in Rick Carlisle.'"

Read more from here.

Guy Fieri visits IMPD during NBA All-Star weekend

The Indianapolis Metro Police Department was visited by Guy Fieri today.

Indy life coach wins NBA Foundation Pitch Competition to fund wellness app for Black women

An Indianapolis entrepreneur won the top prize in the NBA Foundation's Pitch Competition Saturday, receiving $75,000 to support her emotional wellness app designed specifically for Black women.

Katara McCarty's app, Exhale, was created in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent unrest that erupted throughout the country.

She was one of seven finalists from Indiana-based startups vying for a total of $150,000 in prizes at the competition.

Read more from Holly V. Hays.

HBCU Classic held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Basketball players at Winston-Salem State and Virginia Union have a lot riding on the NBA’s All-Star weekend.

Arguably more important than WSS’s dominant 64-47 win Saturday afternoon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the league’s third-annual HBCU Classic? Sunday morning’s job fair.

Players from both sides will have resumes printed and suits pressed in hopes of using this “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to do more than just make a couple hour’s worth of lasting memories on the basketball court.

Read more from Nathan Brown.

Where is the NBA All-Star Game this year?

Sunday's 73rd annual NBA All-Star Game will take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Tonight's festivities, however, will be at Lucas Oil Stadium, which is where the Indianapolis Colts play.

Why Chris Brown didn't play in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game

R&B singer Chris Brown wanted to play basketball in Indianapolis this weekend. But he said he was disinvited from playing in the Feb. 16 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The singer ("Look at Me Now," "Loyal") on early Saturday morning posted to Instagram that he had received an invitation to play in the Celebrity Game but that he was booted from the lineup of stars taking the court in Indianapolis this weekend. IndyStar has reached out to the NBA regarding Brown's claims.

“I was asked by the NBA to play in the all star game this Year! Only for them to call later and say they couldn’t do IT because of their sponsors like RUFFLES,” the post said. “At this point I’m sick of people bothering me and I’m tired of living in the f—- past.”

Read more from Cheryl V. Jackson.

NBA All-Star 2024 3-point contest participants

Wondering who will be in tonight's 3-point contest? We've got you covered. Find a full list of participants for NBA All-Star Saturday night here.

• Malik Beasley, Bucks

• Jalen Brunson, Knicks

• Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers

• Damian Lillard, Bucks (defending champ)

• Lauri Markkanen, Jazz

• Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers

• Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves

• Trae Young, Hawks

What channel is the NBA All-Star Skills Competition, Slam Dunk contest and 3-point contest on?

TNT will broadcast NBA All-Star Saturday night.

What time does NBA All-Star Saturday night start?

The event begins at 8 p.m. ET.

NBA All-Star Saturday night schedule

The Kia Skills Challenge will kick things off and will be followed by the Starry 3-Point Contest, Steph vs. Sabrina 3-Point Challenge and AT&T Slam Dunk.

NBA All-Star Game weekend news

What to know: When and Where is the NBA All-Star Game? Here's what's different about this year's game

Jordan vs. Dominique: When Indianapolis hosted the best Slam Dunk Contest of all-time

NBA All-Star Weekend 2024: Your guide to Indianapolis entertainment, concerts and free events

New court: Playing basketball on glass? A closer look at the LED court debuting at NBA All-Star Weekend

Beginnings: How Larry Bird, an Indy car and a flawless hosting resume put NBA All-Star game in Indy

Celebrity feud: Shannon Sharpe has beef with comedian Mike Epps. They'll both be in town for NBA All-Star week

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 2024 NBA All-Star slam dunk, 3-point, skills competition recap