KAT confirmed for All-Star 3-point contest, Ant in skills challenge

Towns won the 3-point challenge in 2022 and the Skills Challenge in 2016

Karl-Anthony Towns is set to participate in the 3-point contest for the second time in his career. Anthony Edwards will take part in the Skills Challenge on Feb. 17 as part of All-Star Saturday Night.

Towns became the first and only center to win the 3-point contest during the 2022 All-Star weekend when he set a record for most points in the final round (29).

Towns is shooting 43% from beyond the arc this season, a career high for the prolific big man. The other contestants and their 3-point percentages are below...

• Milwaukee's Malik Beasley (45%)
• New York's Jalen Brunson (41%)
• Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton (39%)
• Milwaukee's Damian Lillard (34%)(Defending champ)
• Utah's Lauri Markkanen (40%)
• Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell (35%)
• Atlanta's Trae Young (38%)

Each competitor will have 70 seconds to shoot as many of the 27 balls as they can. Ball racks will be placed at five main shooting locations along the 3-point arc and four racks contain four regulation balls and one "money" ball. The regular balls are worth one point each while the "money" ball is worth two. The fifth rack is all "money" balls. There will also be two special ball pedestals that hold one white ball that will be worth three points.

The three players with the highest score after all competitors have shot will compete in the final round.

Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards will be the first Wolves player to compete in the Skills Challenge since Towns won the 2016 edition.

Edwards will be a part of 'Team Top Picks' alongside Paolo Banchero and Victor Wembanyama, all former first overall picks. The other two teams will be 'Team Pacers,' an all Indiana Pacers team (hosts of the 2024 All-Star Game), and 'Team All-Stars,' three players participating in the All-Star Game.

There are three events in the skills challenge: Team Relay, Team Passing and Team Shooting.

Edwards and Towns will be joined in the All-Star Game the following night by head coach Chris Finch, who will be coaching the Western Conference All-Stars.

Feb 4, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns (32) warms up before a game the Houston Rockets at Target Center.

© Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports