NBA Dunk Contest: Star Time, Schedule, How to Watch, Live Stream, Who to Join
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| NBA Dunk Contest 2021 information.Photo: NBA |
The 2021 NBA Slam Dunk Contest was faster, and shorter, and pretty much very weird and unlike what you're used to at all.
With a new format, start time and unorthodox presentation, the NBA is presenting this year's All-Star festivities in one night, with the Slam Dunk competition taking center stage in the middle of the NBA All-Star Game, adding intrigue to the halftime break.
While the Dunk Contest has been in the tank in recent years and hasn't exactly grabbed headlines, this year's rim-crashers may have more eyes on them than usual, according to Sporting News.
Here's what you need to know about the Slam Dunk Contest at the 2021 NBA All-Star Game:
What time does the NBA Dunk Contest start?
Time: Halftime of the NBA All-Star Game (starts at 8 p.m. ET)
TV channel: TNT
This year's NBA Dunk Contest serves as halftime entertainment during the NBA All-Star Game, as opposed to being a standalone event of years past. Expect it to start between 9:30-10 p.m. ET.
With the league opting for a single night of All-Star festivities in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dunk Contest is tucked into the All-Star Game along with the 3-point contest and skills competition.
What is the format for this year's game?
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| Photo: Posting and Toasting |
The format for the 2021 All-Star Game will mirror that of the 2020 game. Like last year, the teams will begin each of the first three quarters at 0-0 and play for 12 minutes. The team that scores the most in that quarter wins the period. The fourth quarter will be untimed with the goal being to hit the target score, ensuring the game ends on a basket as opposed to the clock hitting zeros.
The target score is determined by adding up each team's first three scores and adding 24 -- in honor of the late Kobe Bryant's jersey number -- to the leading team's total.
NBA All-Star schedule 2021
All of the 2020-21 NBA All-Star events will be taking place on Sunday, March 7, starting with the pre-game show at 5 p.m. ET.
The first event of the night, the NBA skills competition, begins at 6:30 p.m. ET. The skills competition will be followed by the 3-point competition, with the All-Star Game set to tip off at 8 p.m. ET.
| Time (ET) | Event |
| 5 p.m. | NBA All-Star Tipoff Show |
| 6:30 p.m. | Skills Challenge and 3-point Contest |
| 8 p.m. | All-Star Game |
| TBD | Slam Dunk Contest (halftime of All-Star Game) |
How to watch the NBA Dunk Contest
Sling TV Orange
Carries TNT
For other NBA games it also carries ESPN, but not ABC. NBA TV is available for an extra $15 per month as part of Sling's Sports Extra package, Cnet cites.
Sling's other package Blue also carries TNT, but only Orange has ESPN, which makes it the better option for basketball fans.
YouTube TV
Carries TNT
YouTube TV costs $65 a month and includes TNT for the All-Star Game, as well as all the other major NBA channels (ABC, ESPN, and NBA TV). Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area.
Hulu Plus Live TV
Carries TNT
Hulu Plus Live TV costs $65 a month and includes TNT for the All-Star Game, as well as two other major NBA channels (ABC and ESPN), but Hulu lacks NBA TV. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels are available where you live.
AT&T TV
Carries TNT
AT&T TV's basic Entertainment package costs $70 and carries TNT for the All-Star Game, as well two other major NBA channels (ABC and ESPN), but it lacks NBA TV.
AT&T TV's $85-a-month Choice package has all the major national channels, including NBA TV, as well as many of the regional sports networks that carry your team's local games. That makes it our top choice for NBA streaming. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels, including RSNs, are available where you live.
2021 NBA Dunk Contest Participants
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| Photo: BasketItaly |
Obi Toppin, New York Knicks
Anfernee Simons, Portland Trail Blazers
Cassius Stanley, Indiana Pacers
This year, the Dunk Contest is down to just three participants, as opposed to four in previous seasons.
All three participants will compete in the first round, during which each player will attempt two dunks. Dunks will be graded on a scale of 6-10, making for a maximum score of 50. The two highest-scoring participants will move on to Round 2, where they will perform one dunk. In this round, judges will determine a winner by raising a card with the winner's name on it.
Last 15 Dunk Contest Winners
2020: Derrick Jones Jr. (Heat)
2019: Hamidou Diallo (Thunder)
2018: Donovan Mitchell (Jazz)
2017: Glenn Robinson III (Pacers)
2016: Zach LaVine (Timberwolves)
2015: Zach LaVine (Timberwolves)
2014: John Wall (Wizards)
2013: Terrence Ross (Raptors)
2012: Jeremy Evans (Jazz)
2011: Blake Griffin (Clippers)
2010: Nate Robinson (Knicks)
2009: Nate Robinson (Knicks)
2008: Dwight Howard (Magic)
2007: Gerald Green (Celtics)
2006: Nate Robinson (Knicks)
| How can I watch the NBA on TV live without cable? Four of the five major live TV streaming services offer ESPN, TNT and ABC (all but Sling TV), but not every service carries your local ABC station, so check the links below to make sure it's available in your area. For All-Star Sunday you're only going to need TNT, so if you have FuboTV you'll need something else to catch the game. If you want maximum coverage, especially for the rest of the regular season, you'll also want to make sure you have NBA TV (which also airs some games nationally each week) and your regional sports network (which air the bulk of a team's local games). Most regional sports networks are only widely available via streaming on AT&T TV, which starts at $85 per month for the Choice package with no annual contract. At that price, you may want to consider just getting regular cable. |
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