TORONTO – After Canada defeated the U.S. for basketball supremacy and Arcade Fire’s Win Butler was awarded the game MVP, it may seem Toronto’s NBA All-Star Weekend can’t get any more interesting.
And yet, the biggest events are yet to come. Here’s what’s still on tap for All-Star excitement, provided that the players are willing to doff their winter gear long enough to play.
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State Farm All-Star Saturday Night: Saturday, 8 p.m.
This three-part exhibition features three events: the dunk competition, three-point shootout and skills challenge. Tickets are still available online and at the Air Canada Centre.
Three-point shootout: Raptors All-Star Kyle Lowry joins a field of sharpshooters hoping to somehow unseat reigning champ and circus-shot specialist Stephen Curry. Good luck with that.
Boo-birds hoping to heckle Chris Bosh at the event may be disappointed to learn the former Raptor has bowed out due to injury.
Skills Challenge: This bracket-style gauntlet tests players’ dribbling, passing and three-point shooting abilities.
Last year’s winner Patrick Beverley of the Houston Rockets is an injured scratch, leaving such stars as Anthony Davis, Isiah Thomas and DeMarcus Cousins competing for the 2016 crown.
Slam Dunk competition: A field of four high-flying stars, including last year’s champ Zach LaVine vie for slam-dunk supremacy in Saturday night’s biggest event.
READ MORE: Exclusive parties, celebrity sightings accompany NBA All-Star weekend in Toronto
NBA All-Star Game: Sunday 8:30 p.m.
Better schedule any romantic Valentine’s Day activities for earlier in the evening.
Toronto’s first All-Star game is also the first to feature two Raptors suiting up. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan aim to avenge last year’s loss to the Western Conference team in this always high-scoring affair.
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