Milwaukee Bucks star guard Damian Lillard and G-League sensation Mac McClung are both shooting for history during this year’s annual NBA All-Star Saturday Night. They won the 3-Point Contest (Lillard) and the Slam Dunk Contest (McClung) in each of the last two years. Now both enter San Francisco’s Chase Center this weekend with a chance to three-peat.
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Lillard must shoot past seven other elite perimeter gunners — including another previous champion in Golden State Warriors wing Buddy Hield.
Battling a group of three rising NBA prospects, McClung attempts to protect the title in his signature event after bursting onto the national scene two years ago.
Does anybody stand a chance to dethrone Lillard or McClung after their recent dominance?
Slam Dunk Contest
The pressure is on McClung (-210) as the heavy favorite. A win elevates the Osceola Magic guard into rarefied Dunk Contest air. He would become the event’s second three-time champion (joining Nate Robinson) and the only player to win three years in a row.
In winning the last two years, the 6-foot-2 guard attained the highest score of all competitors in each of his four rounds. Displaying remarkable consistency in a spotlight event, McClung is one of 28 dunkers in event history to attain a perfect score of 50. With four 50s over the last two years, McClung is one the highest-rated dunkers of the last decade.
As a third-time participant, McClung faces unique pressure to perform new dunks. How can McClung possibly top the spectacle of jumping over Shaq, which clinched the victory last year? That’s for McClung to figure out.
HE'S DONE IT AGAIN 🤯
Mac McClung is the back-to-back #ATTSlamDunk champion ‼️
Straight 5⃣0⃣'s#StateFarmSaturday on TNT pic.twitter.com/p2sBx7h2IM
— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2024
Given his impeccable two-year track record, it’s hard to bet against McClung facing an uncertain field.
Playing above the rim is nothing new for Milwaukee Bucks second-year wing Andre Jackson Jr. (+500). Jackson made headlines during his rookie campaign for a putback dunk where his head finished above the rim.
Andre Jackson Jr.'s head was ABOVE THE RIM on this putback slam 😳 pic.twitter.com/omVUf3TvTJ
— NBA (@NBA) March 13, 2024
Jackson can’t replicate high-flying putback attempts in a contest setting, but elite leaping ability and smooth athleticism provide an intriguing blueprint for Jackson to showcase creativity with new dunks.
Rookie forward Matas Buzelis (+700) opened eyes recently during extended minutes for the Chicago Bulls. Before the Bulls traded star Zach LaVine to Sacramento ahead of the trade deadline, the two-time dunk contest champion worked with Buzelis on contest ideas after practice. The rookie also showed a lot of confidence when he declared, “I’m not going there to lose,” when asked about participating.
Buzelis advanced to the final round in the dunk contest at the McDonald’s All-American Game two years ago before losing to then-Duke commit Sean Stewart — delivering some impressive dunks along the way.
PERFECT 10'S FOR MATAS BUZELIS 🤩 @SCNext
#PoweradeJamFest pic.twitter.com/jwbb0fCpIe— ESPN (@espn) March 28, 2023
Potential Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle (+800) is off to a strong start for the San Antonio Spurs. Explosive around the rim off of two feet, Castle’s elite vertical contributed to multiple highlight-reel dunks this season.
Stephon Castle threw down his hardest dunk of the year last night 🔨
The #ATTSlamDunk participant's 96.6 Dunk Score is 3rd highest among rookies. Watch him put on a show Saturday, 2/15 at 8pm/et on TNT!
Learn more about the Dunk Score ⤵️ https://t.co/Uv7Mnm95cj pic.twitter.com/S6zJGAlnCD
— NBA (@NBA) February 6, 2025
Castle struggled with missed dunks during the dunk contest at the McDonald’s game two years ago and failed to advance. But he’s been working with Spurs teammates on new dunks to prepare for San Francisco.
If you still can’t decide who to pick, maybe the NBA’s mixtape of all four participants will help you figure it out.
Slam Dunk Contest odds
3-point Contest
Another Lillard win would match him with Larry Bird and Craig Hodges as the only players to win three years in a row. Making his fifth appearance in the event, Lillard canned 26 points in four consecutive rounds during his back-to-back wins.
That level of consistency across two rounds of shooting makes Lillard (+375) the favorite. Lillard could get a lift from a hometown crowd eager to see the Bay Area native shoot for history.
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A pair of all-star selections, Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland (+500) and Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (+500), find themselves right behind Lillard.
An all-star for a second time, Garland is shooting the best 3-point mark of his career (42.9 percent). Making a recent splash with a half-court buzzer-beater to knock off Detroit, Garland owns the efficiency and distance shooting capable of making a splash.
DARIUS GARLAND PULLS FROM THE LOGO!!!
THE @cavs WIN IN DETROIT 🚨🚨#TissotBuzzerBeater #YourTimeDefinesYourGreatness pic.twitter.com/9f6ZFhlolk
— NBA (@NBA) February 6, 2025
A first-time all-star, Herro is fifth in the league in made 3-pointers this season. A career 38 percent 3-point shooter, Herro maintains similar shooting percentages across his six-year NBA career. Herro failed to advance during his 2023 trip to this event, netting only 18 points.
The next group features Hield (+525) and Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell (+525).
The field’s only other champion in this event (2020), Hield reached the finals in each of his previous three appearances. There’s also history between Lillard and Hield in this competition. In 2023, Lillard outlasted Hield in the finals for his first victory, outscoring him 26 to 25.
Hield won the 2020 competition with two scores of 27 — a mark Lillard has never achieved in this event. Playing in his home arena, Hield offers first-round consistency coupled with scoring upside to potentially beat Lillard — making him an intriguing pick to win.
Putting together a career-best season during his 10th year in the league, Powell ranks among the top 15 players this season at 42.9 percent from distance. Feeling snubbed he wasn’t selected as an all-star after stepping up for injured star Kawhi Leonard, this event is Powell’s opportunity to make a splash during All-Star Weekend.
New York Knicks all-star Jalen Brunson (+750) returns for the second consecutive year. During another stellar season, Brunson is shooting just below 40 percent from 3-point territory. Failing to make the finals last year, the notably competitive Brunson seems motivated for a better showing.
Jalen Brunson talks about why he decided to participate in the three-point contest:
"I lost it last year. Limited gym time so I can get some shots up." pic.twitter.com/2MHolOv7x4
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) February 10, 2025
Cam Johnson (+850) rates in the top 25 in 3-point percentage this season as a featured player for the Brooklyn Nets. Hovering near 40 percent for his career, Johnson is on pace to shatter his most made threes in a season and represents an interesting dark horse to make the finals at his current number.
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In the midst of a breakout season, Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (+1200) rounds out the field. Although Cunningham is shooting a respectable 35 percent from the floor, that mark pales in comparison to the other seven players in the competition. The NBA initially invited Pistons sharpshooter Malik Beasley to enter after participating last season. But Beasley gave up his spot to Cunningham even though he’s second in the league in made 3-pointers this season.
3-Point Contest odds
Skills Challenge
The Skills Challenge isn’t as high-profile as the other events, but does always feature the host team. Draymond Green and Moses Moody are teaming up for Team Warriors, but it’s the San Antonio Spurs duo of Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama and the Cleveland duo of Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley that are favored, both at +200. Then the Warriors come in at +280.
The rookie team of Zaccharie Risacher (Atlanta) and Alex Sarr (Washington) are the longshots at +375.
Skills Challenge odds
(Photo of Mac McClung and Shaquille O’Neal: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)
