Anthony Edwards furthered his case to be the face of the NBA after securing the All-Star Game MVP at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on Sunday, Feb. 15.

The Minnesota Timberwolves star joined a list of ASG MVP winners that includes Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James. Each of those players spent time as the face of the league.

Edwards produced 32 points during the three mini games he played in for Team Stars (USA) on Sunday.

The league introduced a new format for the All-Star Game this year with three teams, two consisting of American players and a World team that featured players with international ties, playing each other in a small tournament to determine which two teams would meet in the championship game.

Edwards has acknowledged the potential of being the face of the league, but it isn’t something he’s necessarily chasing.

‘It isn’t something I’m out here shooting for, if it happens, it happens,” Edwards told NBA TV after the game. “I’m not somebody like ‘oh I’m trying to be the face of the league,’ but if it happens, it happens.’

Edwards did not shy away when pointing out that some of the NBA’s best players saw minimal action on Sunday.

‘No shade towards Luka (Doncic) and (Nikola) Jokić, but like they are two of the best players in the league, they’re not trying to play in the All-Star Game,’ Edwards said during an interview on NBA TV.

Nikola Jokić saw limited action, playing just over five minutes during the first game, collecting two defensive rebounds and shooting 0-for-1 from the field. He had not been listed on the Denver Nuggets’ injury report but was diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee injury in December that caused him to miss 16 games.

Luka Doncic also played just over five minutes for Team World, shooting 1-of-3 from the field (0-for-2 from the 3-point line) with two assists. Doncic suffered a left hamstring strain on Feb. 5 and missed four consecutive games for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (right calf strain) and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain) did not play for Team World due to injuries.

Anthony Edwards career stats

Anthony Edwards has averaged 24.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in 427 NBA games played.

While the world’s attention is naturally on the Olympics right now, the NCAA men’s hockey season is getting into the stretch run. Oh, and there is one current college player in Milano, as Minnesota-Duluth’s Adam Gajan, the Chicago Blackhawks prospect, is on Team Slovakia. Gajan hasn’t seen any action in the Olympics yet and there’s a very good chance he won’t get between the pipes at all, but just the fact he’s around this atmosphere and practicing with NHLers such as Juraj Slafkovsky and Simon Nemec is great experience for the youngster.

In the meantime, Boston College won the Beanpot earlier this week, defeating their archrivals from Boston University to claim the famed city-wide trophy. With Team USA’s Olympic squad featuring Eagles alum such as Matt Boldy and Noah Hanifin and former Terriers such as Jack Eichel, Brady Tkachuk and Charlie McAvoy, I’m going to assume it came up once or twice in the dressing room this week. Now let’s get to the rankings.

1. Michigan Wolverines (24-5-1)

Taking on a rested Penn State squad, the Wolverines came away with two more wins, though the first contest did go to a shootout. Nonetheless, Michigan continues to dominate the NCAA rankings. Free agent T.J. Hughes is still the top scorer on the team, while goalie Jack Ivankovic (NSH) is finding his range again after returning from injury.

2. Michigan State Spartans (22-6-0)

The Spartans had the weekend off, but remain in second spot based on their overall season. Michigan State’s final games of the regular season are against the three weakest teams in the Big Ten (Ohio State, Notre Dame and Minnesota), so they could run the table. Trey Augustine (DET) remains hot in net with a 1.96 goals-against average.

3. North Dakota Fighting Hawks (23-7-0)

A sweep of Miami means the Hawks continue to roll in a deep, difficult conference. Defenseman Abram Wiebe (CGY) had a beauty overtime winner against the Redhawks, while even defensive blueliner E.J. Emery (NYR) found the scoreboard. Needless to say, NoDak is a team that can beat you from all angles.

4. Western Michigan Broncos (22-8-0)

The Broncos blasted Arizona State over the weekend by a combined score of 13-4. That means they’ve still only lost two games since the calendar flipped over to 2026 and after an uneven start to the campaign, the defending national champions seem to be rounding into form at the right time. Junior Grant Slukynsky leads the offense with 33 points in 30 games.

5. Quinnipiac Bobcats (24-5-3)

While the Bobcats are still paced by scoring machine Ethan Wyttenbach (CGY), they’re not a one-man team by any means. Freshmen Antonin Verreault and Marcus Vidicek, both of whom came from the major junior ranks, have also been solid contributors to a team that is really looking dangerous this season.

6. Denver Pioneers (19-11-3)

Sweeping Omaha has the Pioneers continuing on the ascent and now Denver has just one regular-season series left, against Arizona State. Rieger Lorenz (MIN) has been red-hot with seven points in his past five games, while defenseman Eric Pohlkamp (SJ) still leads the team in overall scoring with 31 points in 33 games.

7. Providence College Friars (19-8-2)

Like Western Michigan, the Friars have lost only two games in 2026 – though one of them was this past weekend against a Northeastern team that has been dangerous. Providence has a decent lead atop Hockey East and with other programs exhibiting a lot of inconsistency, the Friars are in a good spot as the post-season nears.

8. Penn State Nittany Lions (18-9-1)

True, Penn State was swept by Michigan on the weekend – but at least they pushed one of the contests into the shootout. Gavin McKenna (2026 draft) was an obvious target for trolling by the Wolverines’ fans, but he did manage an assist. Reese Laubach (SJ) actually had a great weekend with four points against Michigan.

9. Boston College Eagles (17-10-1)

It feels like the Eagles are on the cusp of something, they just haven’t quite gotten over the hump so far this season. After winning the Beanpot (a big deal), they split with Merrimack this weekend, which is not ideal. On the positive side, freshman Oscar Hemming (2026) got his first NCAA goal and now has eight points in 12 games since joining the team midway through the year.

10. Connecticut Huskies (17-7-4)

The key to UConn’s success lately has been defense. The Huskies have given up just three goals total in their past three games – and they all came in a shootout win over Maine. Netminder Tyler Muszelik (FLA) can take a lot of the credit for that too, as he was the goalie of record in all of those matches.

MILAN — For most of the 21st century, U.S. pairs figure skating has been an afterthought. 

While the men, women and ice dance sent three representatives in their respective disciplines, it became the norm to just send two pairs. Even then, they weren’t really medal favorites. It was never something Team USA boasted. 

But things appear to be changing in the right direction.

While not quiet podium contenders, the teams of Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea with Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe showed the American pairs division is on the rise, starting the short program on a strong note to set up what could be a milestone finish.

Team USA’s night on Sunday, Feb. 15 began with a team that technically got in thanks to some lucky breaks. National champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, as well as third-place finishers Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman, couldn’t qualify for the Olympics due to citizenship issues, opening the door for the fourth-place finishers in Chan and Howe.

It was at the U.S. figure skating championships where the two had a rough short program, riddled with mistakes that almost took them out of Olympic contention immediately. Clearly, a month of preparation helped. 

There was a night-and-day difference in their performance, highlighted by a dazzling triple toe loop. Even better, no mess-ups.

“It was a bit of a sigh of relief and just excitement,” Chan said of her reaction when the program was finished. “We really went out there and we were together, and we experienced that whole entire program together. I just felt on the top of the mountain.”

Chan and Howe earned a score of 70.06, more than 10 points of what they got in the same program one month ago. It earned praise from 2006 ice dance medalist Ben Agosto, telling the crowd inside Milano Ice Skating Arena it was the “best I’ve seen them in a long time.”

“A big goal has always just been getting out there and feeling good, because if you can feel good, then you have your best chances of delivering what you need to do,” Howe said. “I just felt really laser focused out there.”

That set it up for the team event’s unsung heroes. After playing a critical role in the U.S. winning gold, Kam and O’Shea rode the wave from a week ago. However, the short program in the team event was tough since Kam fell on the throw triple loop. 

Since winning gold, they spent time away from the Olympic Village to pull the emotions together, but keep the good vibes going.

This time around, there was no hitting the ice. Kam was able to keep her balance on the throw, proof their plan worked.

“It feels like we were able to keep all the good momentum and the good things that we wanted to take from the team event and leave all the rest that we didn’t need behind,” she said.

Despite some minor self-inflicted mistakes from O’Shea, the pair didn’t just get a better score than the team event. They got a season-best 71.87.

“We definitely had a little more jitters,” O’Shea recalled of their first outing. “Since then, we’ve been able to settle in and really reframe and refocus on having the time of our lives. 

“The performance itself is something we’re really proud of,” he added. “We stayed on our feet, got rid of those bigger mistakes and got a season’s best.”

Improvement in US figure skating pairs

Heading into the free skate, Kam and O’Shea are in seventh place with Chan and Howe in ninth. It may not seem impressive, but it marks quite the accomplishment. With the 2022 Games, the U.S. has now had two pairs in the top 10 of the standings after the short program in back-to-back Olympics for the first time in the 21st century.

O’Shea credited Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier, whose sixth place finish in 2022 was Team USA’s best since 2002, for opening the door for improvement in the category, and frankly, the reason he and Kam are now partners.

“We’re only getting better,” she said.

Now, the U.S. can complete it in the free dance by having two top 10 finishers in back-to-back Olympics for the first time this century. It’s nothing to brag about, but it shows there’s an upward trend for a discipline that’s been desperately looking for one for decades.

Will either team snap the skid and be the first American pair to win an Olympic medal since 1988? Not likely, but given how unpredictable figure skating has gone in Milano Cortina, including in the pairs, nothing can be entirely ruled out.

Medal or not, the two teams are proving there’s a resurgence in pairs, and it may be a few Olympics away from finally standing on that podium once again.

“I’m so proud of what the pairs in the US have been doing,” O’Shea said. “We really hope to keep that tradition going.”

Jerome Tang is out as Kansas State basketball coach.

The school announced the firing Sunday night, Feb. 15.

“This was a decision that was made in the best interest of our university and men’s basketball program,’ K-State athletic director Gene Taylor said. “Recent public comments and conduct, in addition to the program’s overall direction, have not aligned with K-State’s standards for supporting student-athletes and representing the university. We wish Coach Tang and his family all the best moving forward.”

At a Sunday night news conference, Taylor said Tang ‘has been terminated for cause.’

The Wildcats are 10-15 this season with a 1-11 record in Big 12 play, which comes a season after final records of 16-17 in 2024-25 and 19-15 in 2023-24.

The decision comes days after Tang’s scorched-earth news conference following Kansas State’s 91-62 home loss to Cincinnati on Feb. 11, where Wildcats fans were wearing paper bags over their heads. Tang said his players didn’t deserve to wear the school’s uniforms after the performance.

Kansas State is coming off a 78-64 loss to Houston on Feb. 14, in which its players had their names removed from their jerseys for the game.

What did Jerome Tang say to get fired?

‘This was embarrassing,’ Tang said after the Cincinnati loss. ‘These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform, and there will be very few of them in it next year. I’m embarrassed for the university, I’m embarrassed for our fans, and our student section. It’s just ridiculous.

‘We have practice at 6 a.m. tomorrow. I have no answers or no words. Y’all got two questions, so whoever wants to ask two questions, I’ll answer ’em to the best of my ability right now. But right now, I’m pissed.

‘These dudes have to have some pride, man. It means something to wear a K-State uniform. It means something to put on this purple, man. Our university’s all about that, and it’s why I love this place, man. They don’t love this place, so they don’t deserve to be here.’

What Kansas State AD Gene Taylor said about firing Jerome Tang

At Sunday’s news conference announcing the firing, Taylor said, ‘What he said about the student-athletes really concerned me.’

‘There’s language in his contract that addresses certain things that could potentially bring embarrassment,’ Taylor added. ‘Basically, his comments about the student-athletes and the negative reaction to those comments from a lot of sources, both nationally and locally is where I kind of thought we needed to make the decision.’

As of Sunday night, the school still has Tang’s postgame news conference from the Cincinnati game live on its YouTube page.

Jerome Tang buyout, contract

Tang’s buyout is set at $18.675 million, according to the USA TODAY Sports head coaches salaries database.

K-State’s athletic director said Tang was fired ‘for cause’, which would affect the conditions of the buyout.

Tang had five years remaining on his contract.

What did Jerome Tang say about being fired by Kansas State?

In a statement to ESPN, the former Kansas State coach said:

“I am deeply disappointed with the university’s decision and strongly disagree with the characterization of my termination. I have always acted with integrity and faithfully fulfilled my responsibilities as head coach.

‘I would like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the opportunity to serve as Head Coach at Kansas State. It has been one of the great honors of my life.

‘I am grateful to the players, staff, and fans who make this program so special. I remain proud of what we built together and confident that I have always acted in the best interests of the university and our student-athletes.’

How can Kansas State fire Jerome Tang for cause?

Kansas State can fire Tang for cause for the following reasons:

• ***Material breach of his agreement, intentional negligence, or other failure or refusal to perform his duties and responsibilities as head coach.
• Insubordination; objectionable behavior
• Failure to report any and all violations of NCAA rules
• Fraud or dishonesty related to submitting documents to the NCAA
• Serious or multiple rules violations involving himself, an assistant or staff member
• Failure to reasonably respond accurately and fully within a reasonable time relating to the coach’s duties to the athletic director
• Instruct a coach, student or other person to respond inaccurately, inappropriately or incompetently or destroy or conceal evidence concerning a matter to a student or athletic program
• Fail to obtain required approval for outside activities

*** — Among the notable duties listed in Tang’s contract is to conduct himself in a manner consistent with being the head coach. It says that Tang is not to engage in any behavior, actions, or activities that subject himself, Kansas State athletics, or the university to public disrepute, embarrassment, ridicule, or scandal, with such conduct reflecting unfavorably on K-State athletics.

What’s next at Kansas State?

Tang, a former longtime Baylor assistant, led Kansas State to the Elite Eight in his first year with the program in 2022-23 before eventually falling to national runner-up Florida Atlantic. The fall from grace was fast after reaching impressive heights as a first-year head coach.

Kansas State has three Elite Eight appearances since 2010 under three different coaches — Tang (2023) Bruce Weber (2018) and Frank Martin (2010). The school has produced numerous high-level coaches throughout the years, including Lon Kruger, Dana Altman and Bob Huggins, to name a few.

Associate head coach Matthew Driscoll will serve as interim head coach, Taylor said, as K-State begins its search for Tang’s replacement.

Damian Lillard was a shocking addition to the NBA’s 3-point contest during All-Star weekend, given that the 35-year-old, nine-time All-Star hasn’t played a single minute of NBA basketball this year.

His inclusion in the event was head-scratching to many fans. Still, there’s no denying that Lillard is one of the best shooters in NBA history.

Not only has he shot over 35% from 3 in nine of his last 10 seasons, but he has won the 3-point contest twice already — 2023 and 2024. He was aiming to become just the third player in NBA history to win the event three times, and the first to do so non-consecutively.

Larry Bird won the event every year from 1986 to 1988, while Craig Hodges won the event each year from 1990 to 1992.

Lillard had a chance to make history. So, did he do it? Here are the full results from the 2026 NBA 3-point contest:

2026 NBA 3-point contest results

First round

*-advanced to the final round

• Devin Booker* – 30
• Damian Lillard* – 27
• Kon Knueppel* – 27
• Donovan Mitchell – 24
• Norman Powell – 23
• Jamal Murray – 18
• Tyrese Maxey – 17
• Bobby Portis Jr. – 15

Finals

1. Damian Lillard – 29
2. Devin Booker – 27
3. Kon Knueppel – 17

Booker missed the final three shots of his last rack, wasting three opportunities to tie and possibly win the event. Lillard’s win makes him the third three-time champion.

What did Damian Lillard score in his prior two wins?

In 2023, Lillard scored 26 points in the finals. His competitors, Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton, scored 25 and 17 respectively.

In 2024, Lillard, a model of consistency in this event, scored 26 points yet again, beating Trae Young (24) and Karl-Anthony Towns (22).

Lillard’s 29 points in 2026 mark the most he’s ever scored in a 3-point contest win.

The selection committee for the women’s NCAA Tournament has given fans their first glimpse as to what seeding might look like when March Madness rolls around.

Ahead of the clash between SEC contenders South Carolina and LSU on Feb. 14, the committee unveiled its first of two projections for the top 16 seeds. Members of the committee met in Indianapolis a few days ago to put together a mock bracket.

Undefeated UConn was tabbed as the No. 1 overall seed, followed by UCLA, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. The Commodores defeated Texas 86-70 at home on Thursday, a victory that seemingly pushed Shea Ralph’s team to the one-line. Vanderbilt hasn’t been a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament since 2002.

Full top 16 projection:

1. UConn
2. UCLA
3. South Carolina
4. Vanderbilt
5. Texas
6. Michigan
7. Louisville
8. LSU
9. Ohio State
10. Duke
11. Iowa
12. TCU
13. Maryland
14. Michigan State
15. Ole Miss
16. Oklahoma

Big Ten, SEC dominant in women’s basketball

The Big Ten and SEC have looked like the deepest and most competitive conferences in women’s college basketball all season and both were rewarded in this first projection with six seeds each in the top 16.

If Ole Miss holds on to its spot, it would be a historic seeding for the Rebels. They haven’t been a top-four seed since 1992. Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s team is 20-5 this season and has won six of its last eight games. But the Rebels have a tough schedule coming up with four consecutive games against ranked opponents within the next eight days: Kentucky, Tennessee, LSU and South Carolina.

Michigan State is projected to host opening weekend games for the first time since 2016.

In this projection, the ACC has two top 16 seeds, while the Big 12 and Big East have just one each. Opportunities remain for teams like Baylor, West Virginia and North Carolina to play their way into hosting rights.

The selection committee will unveil a second projection of the top 16 seeds in two weeks, on Sunday, March 1, at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN. The day before Selection Sunday — March 14 — the committee will announce which teams earned top 16 seeds and hosting rights before revealing the full bracket.

MILAN – The American men’s hockey team goes into their last preliminary round game of the 2026 Winter Olympics having earned a measure of resilience.

Much as their Group C play so far has been against underdogs – and that won’t change in the final preliminary game on Sunday, Feb. 15, at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena – the Americans’ 2-0 record hasn’t come without challenges. The Danes twice forced the U.S. to play from behind, and kept Saturday’s game close going into the third period before the U.S. pulled away, 6-3. Against Latvia, the Americans had to deal with two called-back goals.

‘I think it can serve us well moving forward,’ U.S. coach Mike Sullivan said after the victory over Denmark. ‘Because when you hit bumps in the road and you’re able to overcome those types of things, I think it says a lot about your group. And I think it galvanizes the group in a lot of ways.

‘It also provides hard evidence that we’re able to overcome anything that comes our way. And that’s an important part of success in this type of a tournament.’

A victory over Germany would put the U.S. in first play in group play, and earn a bye into the quarterfinals.

‘We’ve just got to keep building our game,’ Sullivan said. ‘I think that’s part of the process, is just trying to get better each and every day, and that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to refine, we’re trying to define and refine, every single day. We’ve just got to keep moving the needle. We want to become a better version of ourselves.’

Jack Eichel described the team as an ‘unfinished product’ when asked what the Americans need to work on as the preliminary round wraps up.

‘I think you want to be good with puck management,’ he said. ‘You want to be good breaking the puck out and transitioning from defense to offense. Some of our D-zone structure, things like that, some of the breakdowns we’ve had, to continue to improve on. We’re going to continue to get better. It’s all part of this.’

The Americans didn’t start well against Denmark, falling behind 2-1 on a fluky goal when Jeremy Swayman didn’t see the puck that Nicholas B. Jensen fired from near his own bench. But in both of their preliminary games the Americans have put on dominant performances in the second period, putting themselves in position to put the games away in the third period.

‘I thought that if we played our game for 60 minutes, things would go our way, and they did,’ Eichel said. ‘I give them credit, they played really hard, they were opportunistic. They got a couple goals. No game is going to be easy, we realized that. I thought it was good of the group to continue to play our game for 60 minutes and find a way to win.’

Eichel set up Brady Tkachuk’s tying goal midway through the game and then scored to make it 3-2. Tkachuk is off to a great start in the tournament, with goals in each game and his usual strong physical presence.

‘He’s a beast,’ Sullivan said. ‘He’s a beast. His energy is contagious. He’s so vocal on the bench in between periods. He’s a positive guy. He drags everybody into the fight, literally and figuratively, and that’s what we love about him.’

From their first line to what masquerades as their fourth line (Jack Hughes is on it) and their defensive pairings and goaltending depth that numbers Swayman, Connor Hellebyck (who started against Latvia) and Jake Oettinger, the Americans are poised to earn a couple days before the quarterfinals if they take care of the Germans like they did the Latvians and Danes.

‘it’s one of those quick tournaments that you kind of have to find it quick,’ Tkachuk said. ‘I think that’s what’s so good about our group, is that we’re just kind of scratching at it right now and it’s going to work out that we’re going to peak at the right time.’

INGLEWOOD, CA — The NBA All-Star Weekend festivities have arrived. Saturday featured a wealth of events, highlighted by the mainstays: the NBA Slam Dunk and 3-Point Contests.

Before the main event of Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game, where the U.S. will take on the world in a new round-robin format, the crowd at Intuit Dome was entertained by the high-flying antics of Carter Bryant (San Antonio Spurs), Jaxson Hayes (Los Angeles Lakers), Keshad Johnson (Miami Heat), Jase Richardson (Orlando Magic).

USA TODAY Sports provided updates, highlights and results for the dunk and 3-point contests and the rest of Saturday night’s events:

NBA dunk contest highlights

NBA 3-point contest highlights

Shooting Stars contest highlights

Slam Dunk Contest: Heat forward Keshad Johnson wins

It won’t be one of the memorable Slam Dunk Contests that fans will talk about for years to come, but Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson took the title in his first time competing in the event.

He topped Spurs rookie Carter Bryant with a final round score of 97.4 points. His top dunk of the night was a between-the-legs slam from the right baseline that he lobbed to himself. Johnson nearly hit his head on the backboard and slammed it home. The judges gave him a score of 49.6 for the dunk.

Final round, second dunk: Carter Bryant

It came down to the last dunk of the night. Bryant had to attempt a dunk several times and eventually had to bail. His first try was supposed to be a between-the-legs lob off the backboard that he then wanted to slam with a reverse. He had two attempts rim out, and as time wound down, he switched to a two-handed 360 dunk.

The judges gave him a score of 43.0, for a final round score of 93.0. That gave the Slam Dunk Contest title to Heat forward Keshad Johnson.

Final round, second dunk: Keshad Johnson

Using a long runway from well beyond half court, Johnson didn’t quite take off from the free throw line, but he did thunder it home with a swooping windmill.

The judges gave him a score of 47.8, for a final round total of 97.4.

Final round, first dunk: Carter Bryant

Another impressive dunk, Bryant caught a lob he threw to himself from the top of the key and slammed it home after putting the ball between his legs. He threw it down with power, getting a pop out of the crowd.

The judges gave him a perfect 50.

Final round, first dunk: Keshad Johnson

As he has all night long, Johnson danced his way through his turn. He went back to the dunk he had been trying late in the first round, doing a lobbed dunk underneath the basket that he also looped between his legs.

The judges were impressed, giving him a near-perfect score of 49.6, the highest of the night thus far.

Second dunk: Keshad Johnson

After he twice tried to do an in-between-the-legs dunk off of a lob, Johnson pivoted and did a two-hand, rock-the-cradle dunk from the baseline.

The judges gave him a score of 45.4, giving him a first-round score of 92.8. That moves him into the final, against Carter Bryant.

Second dunk: Carter Bryant

Bryant tossed a lob to himself and then flushed it down with a powerful windmill that showcased his jumping ability. It wasn’t necessarily a flashy dunk, but it was smooth and powerful.

The judges gave him a score of 49.2 to give him a first-round score of 94.8, securing his spot in the final.

Second dunk: Jase Richardson

Richardson used the help of a friend to try to lob the pass off the backboard, but a scary fall made him rethink the dunk. During that attempt, Richardson got caught on the backboard and fell flat on the court, appearing to hit the back of his head on the floor.

He got up and pivoted to a two-handed 360 slam.

The judges gave him a score of 43.4, for a total first-round score of 88.8.

Second dunk: Jaxson Hayes

Sensing that he needed to make up for his score, Hayes stood at the left wing and lobbed a pass and then, as he approached the ball, he tapped it with his right hand to himself before looping it between his legs for the dunk.

The judges gave him a score of 47.2 points on the dunk, for a total first-round score of 91.8.

Fourth up: Jaxson Hayes

Hayes seemed to know that his dunk wasn’t all that.

He took off from well within the backcourt and seemed to want to do a jump from the free throw line, but Hayes was well inside of that when he took off. From there, it was a pretty straightforward attempt, slamming it home.

The judges gave him a score of 44.6.

Third up: Keshad Johnson

Give him style points for coming out of the tunnel with rapper E-40, who wasn’t just a prop. Johnson took off from the right wing and jumped over E-40 — without any assistance or leverage — while posing at the apex with his left hand behind his head. Once he flushed it home, Johnson broke out into a little dance.

The judges gave him a score of 47.4, so far the highest total of the round.

Second up: Jase Richardson

The son of two-time Slam Dunk Contest winner Jason Richardson, Jase lobbed a pass to himself from the wing before grabbing the pass off the bounce for a reverse slam that he pumped once.

The judges gave him a score of 45.4, which was just 0.2 points behind Bryant.

First up: Carter Bryant

Looking loose and relaxed, Spurs forward Carter Bryant came from the left baseline and jumped underneath the basket, doing a 360-windmill, slamming it on his first attempt.

The judges gave him a score of 45.6; Dwight Howard was the judge who gave him the highest score of 48.

Judges

The judges for the Slam Dunk Contest will be Dominique Wilkins, Dwight Howard, Corey Maggette, Brent Barry (first Clipper to ever win the Slam Dunk Contest, in 1996) and Julius Erving.

NBA Shooting Stars competition: Team Knicks win

Final round: Team Knicks

Needing to post a big number to win the Shooting Stars competition, Team Knicks won it on the four-point spot, draining four shots from deep. That pushed their score to 47, topping Team Cameron by nine points.

Final round: Team Cameron

Competing against Team Knicks in the Shooting Stars final, Team Cameron (former Duke players Kon Knueppel, Jalen Johnson and former guard Corey Maggette) posted a score of 38. Team Cameron made good use of the four-point shots from near midcourt to pad their score. Team Knicks is up next.

Fourth up: Team Knicks

Posting the highest score of the first round, Team Knicks dropped 31 points, advancing to the final round with Team Cameron. Team Knicks are led by Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson and retired Knick Allan Houston. The designated passer is Rick Brunson, who is an assistant on the Knicks staff and Jalen’s father.

Third up: Team Harper

Former NBA guard Ron Harper and his two sons Dylan (Spurs) and Ron Jr. (Maine Celtics) avoided elimination and scored 18. They did eliminate Team All-Star.

Second up: Team Cameron

With actor and comedian Anthony Anderson serving as the designated passer, Team Cameron (Kon Knueppel, Jalen Johnson and former guard Corey Maggette) posted a score of 24, which puts them in good position to move on to the final round. Team Cameron gets its name because all players came from Duke, which plays its home games at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

First up: Team All-Star

Up first in the Shooting Stars competition, which is a shooting game with three participants and a designated person passing the ball, Team All-Star (former Piston Richard Hamilton, Chet Holmgren and Scottie Barnes) scored 16 points.

3-Point Contest: Damian Lillard ties record with third career championship

Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard isn’t playing this season because of a torn Achilles he suffered in the playoffs last season, when he was a member of the Bucks. It didn’t matter.

Lillard combined for 56 points across both rounds of the 3-Point Contest, including a final round score of 29, to win his third career title in the event. He joins Celtics legend Larry Bird and Craig Hodges as the only players to win the event three times.

‘That’s all I do it for, to keep adding to my legacy,’ Lillard said during an interview in the moments after he claimed his victory.

Final round: Devin Booker

Devin Booker was not playing around. He drained the first nine attempts of his final round to start hot, though he did cool off a touch. He entered the final rack with the chance to win the title, but he had two big misses that prevented him from catching Damian Lillard, who now wins his third career 3-Point Contest.

Final round: Damian Lillard

Lillard hit 4-of-5 shots on his first two racks to set the tone for a very solid 29 points that may be tough to beat. Devin Booker needs 30 or more to win the title.

Final round: Kon Knueppel

Knueppel made 4-of-5 shots in his first rack, but then struggled to sustain that momentum, hitting just four tries over his next two racks. His score of 17 likely won’t be enough to win it all.

Eighth up: Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard

Competing as he’s recovering from a torn Achilles rupture, Lillard is still looking to win his record third career 3-Point Contest. Lillard actually started slowly and appeared as though he would be eliminated, but he drained 9 of his last 10 attempts, including four in the moneyball rack to post a score of 27 to move on. He joins Devin Booker (30) and Kon Knueppel (27) as the three finalists.

Seventh up: Suns guard Devin Booker

We now have a new leader. Devin Booker put on a clinic, especially in the moneyball rack that had each attempt worth two points. Leaving the moneyball rack for last, he hit 4-of-5 attempts and posted a score of 30, eliminating Heat guard Norman Powell.

Sixth up: 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey

Unfortunately for Maxey, one of the premier perimeter shooters in the NBA, he had several of his attempts rattle out and just miss. His score of 17 isn’t enough to move on to the second round.

Fifth up: Bucks forward Bobby Portis

Getting a score of only 15, Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr. is eliminated. Portis, so far, has the lowest score of the contest.

Fourth up: Heat guard Norman Powell

Norman Powell, competing in front of his previous home fans, avoided elimination on the final rack. His score of 23 puts him in third place, though his spot is in danger. The top three contestants advance, so he’ll need the back half of the field to sputter. Powell eliminated Nuggets guard Jamal Murray.

Third up: Nuggets guard Jamal Murray

It looks like Murray won’t be moving on to the second round — unless he gets considerable help. Murray started slowly and was able to drain a few shots here and there, but he could never catch fire. He finishes with a first-round score of 18, which is nine behind current leader Kon Knueppel.

Second up: Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell

Wearing a Jaylon Tyson jersey to honor his teammate, Donovan Mitchell drained each shot from the first rack, but he cooled off a touch in the middle. His score of 24 is respectable, but he already trails Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel by three.

First up: Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel

First up to get the 3-Point Contest was Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel who didn’t show any nerves at all to begin the competition. He posted an excellent score of 27 after his first round, taking advantage of the moneyball rack.

Energy and buzz building in the Intuit Dome

Fans here are starting to take their seats and trickle into the Intuit Dome as buzz is starting to build in the arena before All-Star Saturday. Queen Latifah took center court to introduce the participants in the 3-Point Contest, and we’re only minutes away from getting underway.

How to watch the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk and 3-Point Contest?

• When: Saturday, Feb. 14, 5 p.m. ET
• Where: Intuit Dome (Inglewood, California)
• Channel: NBC
• Streaming: Peacock

Watch NBA All-Star Slam Dunk and 3-Point events on Peacock

When is the 2026 NBA All-Star Game?

The game will take place Sunday, Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. ET.

Where is the 2026 NBA All-Star Game?

Los Angeles will serve as host of All-Star weekend and all of its events, including the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, the Slam Dunk Contest and the 3-Point Contest. Events will take place at the Intuit Dome, the home venue of the Los Angeles Clippers.

What is the Shooting Stars competition?

Four teams of three players each will compete in two rounds, with the top two advancing to the finals. Teams have 70 seconds to hit a shot from seven different spots on the court. Each player on a team shoots at each spot in a set order.

Seven shooting spots

• Right lane layup/dunk (2 points)
• 18′ right baseline (worth 2 points)
• Right elbow (2 points)
• Right win 3-pointer (3 points)
• top of the key (2 points)
• Left corner 3-pointer (3 points)
• Long range 3-pointer (4 points)

Shooting Stars Participants

Team Knicks

Jalen Brunson, Allan Houston, and Karl-Anthony Towns

Team Harper

Ron Harper Sr., Dylan Harper, and Ron Harper Jr.

Team All-Star

Richard Hamilton, Scottie Barnes, and Chet Holmgren

Team Cameron

Corey Maggette, Kon Knueppel, and Jalen Johnson

Is there a Skills Competition?

The skills challenge, first introduced in 2003 and testing players’ shooting, ball-handling, and passing in an obstacle-course format, has now been replaced by the Shooting Stars competition, which last appeared at All-Star Weekend in 2015.

What are the rules for the 2026 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest?

The full list of rules for the NBA Slam Dunk Contest can be found on the All-Star website.

Four dunkers will compete in the two-round competition. For each dunk, a score from 40 to 50 will be given by each judge. The average of the five judges’ scores will be the individual dunk score. The two players with the highest dunk scores at the end of the first round will advance to the second and final round.

For each scored dunk in both rounds (Dunks #1 and #2 in the First Round and Dunks #1 and #2 in the Final Round), each dunker will have 90 seconds and a maximum of three attempts to complete the dunk. If the player has not completed the dunk at the expiration of the 90 seconds, he will be given a final try to complete the dunk. If the player does not complete the dunk, he will receive a score of 40 points.

Tiebreakers in the first round will be decided by a vote from the judges; the player with the most votes will advance. In the second round, a tiebreaker will be decided by a one-dunk dunk off to determine the champion.

Who won the NBA 3-point contest last year?

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro netted 24 points in the final round of action to take the prize last year. He beat out the likes of sharpshooters Darius Garland and Buddy Hield.

Who won the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest last year?

McClung won the dunk contest in 2025, capping off a three-peat for the G League star that began in 2023. Though he won’t be competing in 2026, McClung revealed on Twitter that he plans on sharing the dunks he had been working on after the contest ends.

NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest winners

Here are the previous five slam dunk winners:

• 2025 (San Francisco): Mac McClung (Magic)
• 2024 (Indianapolis): Mac McClung (Magic)
• 2023 (Utah): Mac McClung (76ers)
• 2022 (Cleveland): Obi Toppin (Knicks)
• 2021 (Atlanta): Anfernee Simons (Trail Blazers)

Who is in the NBA 3-Point Contest?

Here are the participants competing in the three-point contest:

• Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel
• Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell
• Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray
• Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey
• Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker
• Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard
• Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis
• Miami Heat guard Norman Powell

Who is participating in the 2026 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest?

• Carter Bryant (San Antonio Spurs; rookie)
• Jaxson Hayes (Los Angeles Lakers)
• Keshad Johnson (Miami Heat)
• Jase Richardson (Orlando Magic; rookie)

The dunk contest will have a new champion this year after three-time defending champion Mac McClung announced to ESPN through his father he’d be sitting out this year .

This year, the field features two rookies in Bryant and Richardson. Richardson, selected 25th overall by the Magic in last year’s draft, is the son of two-time Slam Dunk Contest winner Jason Richardson (2002 and 03). Hayes is in his third season with the Lakers and seventh NBA season in total.

While not a starter, he’s thrived in a backup role in LA and and has been the beneficiary of more than a few lobs from LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Johnson is in his second NBA season; his rookie year was split between Miami and their G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

What time is the 2026 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest?

The 2026 NBA All-Star dunk contest will be held on Saturday, Feb. 14 in Los Angeles at the Intuit Dome, home of the Clippers. The dunk contest will directly follow the 3-point contest and the return of the shooting stars competition.

All-Star Saturday begins at 5:00 p.m. ET.

What time is the 2026 NBA 3-Point Contest?

The 3-point contest is one part of the Saturday festivities, which begin at 5 p.m. ET. The 3-point contest will precede the popular slam dunk event.

It’s looking increasingly likely that rain could impact the 2026 Daytona 500, as the NASCAR’s Cup Series is set to get underway on Sunday.

The latest forecast shows a 55% chance of rain with the added possibility of thunderstorms creating the chance of a delay or even postponement of The Great American Race at Daytona International Speedway. NASCAR officials have already moved up the scheduled drop of the green flag by an hour to 1:30 p.m. ET.

In the past 15 years, the 500 has been moved to or finished on Monday because of inclement weather in 2012, 2020 and 2024. In 2021, the race was delayed six hours and didn’t finish until after midnight.

Kyle Busch – who has never won the Daytona 500 – is the pole sitter for the 68th edition of the historic competition. Chase Briscoe, Joey Logano, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney round out the starting top five. The race will also feature seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson.

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Daytona 500 weather forecast

Here’s the latest AccuWeather forecast for Daytona Beach, Florida:

• Sunday, Feb. 15: Mostly breezy and cloudy. Morning showers in spots, then thunderstorms are possible in spots late in the afternoon. High temperature of 80 degrees and a low of 59. Chance of precipitation: 55%
• Monday, Feb. 16: Passing showers are likely in the morning, with clouds giving way to some sun. Cooler and becoming breezy in the afternoon. High temperature of 65 degrees and a low of 53. Chance of precipitation: 55%.

When is the 2026 Daytona 500?

• Date: Sunday, Feb. 15
• Start time: 1:30 p.m. ET
• Location: Daytona International Speedway (Daytona Beach, Florida)
• TV: Fox
• Streaming: Fubo (free trial), Sling
• Defending champion: William Byron

Watch Daytona 500 on Fubo