NBA 3-Point Contest 2017: TV Schedule, Participants and Predicted Winner

While the NBA All-Star game is the main attraction during the All-Star Weekend, the slam-dunk and three-point shooting contests on Saturday night are two of the highlight events.Over the years, both have been eye-catching, and while the dunk contest is still memorable, the three-point shooting show may have passed it in terms of excitement and overall skill.This year's three-point shooting contest features eight stars, including defending champion Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors. 2017 NBA Three-Point ContestWhere:Smoothie King Center, New OrleansWhen:Saturday, February 18Time:8 p.m. ETNational TV:TNTThe other participants include Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors, Eric Gordon of the Houston Rockets, Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers, C.J. McCollum of the Portland Trail Blazers, Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Hornets, Wesley Matthews of the Dallas Mavericks and Nick Young of the Los Angeles Lakers.The contest consists of each player having one minute to shoot25balls from five different spots beyond the three-point arc. Each rack consists of four NBA standard basketballs and one multi-color ball. The standard basketballs carry a value of one point for each shot made, while the multi-color ball is worth two. The final rack consists of five multi-color basketballs.The three players with the highest scores through the first round advance to the championship round, where the same rules apply.Thompson won the title in 2016 with a spectacular performance that allowed him to get the best of teammate Stephen Curry. Thompson has a chance to become the first repeat champion since Jason Kapono accomplished the feat in 2007 and 2008.Thompson is the favorite in the event with odds of plus-110, according to OddsShark. Those who wager $100 on Thompson will win $110 (in addition to the original wager) if the defending champion is successful.Irving is the second choice at plus-400, while McCollum is plus-800. Lowry, Gordon and Young are fairly close behind at plus-900, while Walker and Matthews are the two outsiders at plus-1,100.Irving may have the best chance of taking the title from Thompson. This is his fourth time competing in the event, and he was victorious in 2013.Thompson is averaging 22.1 points per game and shooting 42.2 percent from beyond the arc. Irving is averaging 24.4 points per game and connecting on 38.9 percent from three-point range. PredictionThe pressure will be on Thompson to win, as he represents the high-flying Warriors. Bringing home the title one time is impressive, but a second consecutive championship would allow him to walk with some legendary shooters, including Larry Bird, Craig Hodges, Mark Price, Jeff Hornacek, Peja Stojakovic and Kapono.It may be too much for him. Look for Thompson to get to the final round, but this competition should belong to Irving.The veteran Cavalier guard has been through enough in his career that he should be immune to the pressure of the three-point shooting contest. Irving should do well enough in the first round to earn his spot in the championship round, and once he gets that far, he should find a way to bring home the title.
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