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NBA 02/02/2018, 09.44

Kristaps Porzingis to defend title in 2018 Taco Bell Skills Challenge

Joining KP are Spencer Dinwiddie, forward Lauri Markkanen, guard Donovan Mitchell, guard Jamal Murray and guard Lou Williams, Al Horford and Joel Embiid

NBA

Defending champion and 2018 NBA All-Star Kristaps Porzingis of the New York Knicks and All-Stars Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers and Al Horford of the Boston Celtics will compete in the 2018 Taco Bell® Skills Challenge on Saturday, Feb. 17 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Joining the three All-Star big men in the eight-player field are guard Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets, forward Lauri Markkanen of the Chicago Bulls, guard Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz, guard Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets and guard Lou Williams of the LA Clippers.

The 16th Taco Bell Skills Challenge is part of State Farm® All-Star Saturday Night, which will air on TNT and ESPN Radio at 8 p.m. ET.  All-Star Saturday Night also includes the JBL Three-Point Contest and Verizon Slam Dunk.

In addition to the star-studded competitions, Daytime Emmy® Award winner and Extra host Mario Lopez will welcome fans and introduce the night, while Grammy® Award nominee Andra Day and Academy® Award winner Common will perform a special rendition of the 2018 Academy Award-nominated song “Stand Up for Something” from the movie Marshall.  Part of the NBA Voices platform and in celebration of Black History Month, the performance will feature current and former NBA and WNBA players and incorporate words chosen by a handful of players that reflect black history and culture, and their collective commitment to equality and diversity.

With Porzingis, Embiid, Horford and Markkanen competing, this marks the third straight year that four big men will be showing off their versatility in the previously guard-focused event.  Big men were crowned champion in each of the last two competitions, with the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns winning in 2016 and Porzingis defeating Gordon Hayward in last year’s final round.

The three-round, obstacle-course competition, which tests dribbling, passing, agility and three-point-shooting skills, will feature a head-to-head, bracket-style tournament format.  The four big men will be on one side of the bracket and the four guards will be on the other side of the bracket.  First-round matchups will be announced at a later date.


E. Carchia

E. Carchia

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