Star Rookie Josh Giddey to Represent OKC Thunder in Skills Challenge on All-Star Saturday Night
State Farm All-Star Saturday night is one of the most enjoyable events of the entire NBA season. With the most talented players across the league in Cleveland to compete in All-Star 2022, Saturday night features three unique events.
On Saturday night, the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, MTN DEW 3-Point Contest and AT&T Slam Dunk will all take place.
Thunder rookie Josh Giddey will represent OKC in the Skills Challenge, which will be the first event of the night. This will be the second competition he will compete in over the weekend, following the Clorox Rising Stars event on Friday night.
One of the best rookies in this league, Giddey has notched a triple-double in three consecutive games.
FORMAT:
The Skills Challenge has taken many forms over the history of the event, but should be as exciting as ever this season. There will be three unique teams that will face off and showcase their wide variety of skills. Each team will be comprised of of three players will participate in a four-round competition that tests shooting, passing and dribbling ability.
Round 1:
Team Shooting (three teams) – All players from each team will participate individually with their two teammates rebounding. Each player has 30 seconds to shoot from five different spots on the court, ranging from 10 feet to 30 feet. Players cannot repeat the same shot consecutively. Shots made from each shooting location will have different values (one point, two points, three points, four points or five points). Individual player scores will be added together to determine the team score. The team with the highest team score will win Round 1 and earn 100 Challenge Points.
Round 2:
Team Passing (three teams) – All players on a team will participate together. Each team will have 30 seconds to complete passes into three oversized moving targets, which vary in size and distance from the players. Each team must make at least one pass attempt at each target, and individual players cannot make consecutive passes at the same target. Completed passes into each target will have different values (two points, four points or six points). The team with the most total points will win Team Passing and earn 100 Challenge Points.
Round 3:
Team Relay (three teams) – All players from each team will participate in a timed relay. Each player must complete the course, which has five skills in the following order: 1.) throw an outlet pass into a moving target from the baseline; 2.) dribble down the court through three moving pylons; 3.) make a short shot in the lane; 4.) make a three-pointer from the corner against an automated defender; and 5.) dribble to the opposite goal and make a basket (such as a dunk, layup or jump shot). The team with the fastest time will win Round 3 and earn 200 Challenge Points.
Final Round:
Half-court Shot (two teams) – The two teams that advance to the Final Round will compete one at a time and all players on each team will participate in trying to make a half-court shot. Team 1 will set the time to beat with a made shot or expiration of the clock (maximum of 1 minute and 30 seconds). The team that makes a half-court shot in the fastest time will win the Taco Bell® Skills Challenge. In the case of a tie, the two teams will repeat the Final Round.
PARTICIPANTS:
The three teams will feature players from very different backgrounds and levels of experience. One team will be comprised of all rookies, another team filled with members of the host team in the Cleveland Cavaliers and the third team being the Antetokounmpo brothers.
Team Rooks:
• Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
• Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
• Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder
Nick Turchiaro / USA TODAY Sports
Team Cavs:
• Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers
• Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers
• Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
Alonzo Adams / USA TODAY Sports
Team Antetokounmpos:
• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
• Alex Antetokounmpo, Raptors905
• Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Jim Dedmon / USA TODAY Sports
WHEN:
Saturday, February 19, 2022 at 7:00 PM CT
LOCATION:
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH
TELEVISION:
TNT
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