NBA Skills Challenge 2018 live blog: Highlights, updates, reactions, and more

We’re live blogging the NBA Skills Challenge below.

7:36 p.m. — SPENCER EVEN GOT A NEW NAME.

7:35 p.m. — Markkanen missed the chest pass, and that put him too far behind Dinwiddie to even attempt an event-winning three. Dinwiddie did miss one, but he buried his second one. He’s your skills contest winner! Shoutout to Spencer.

7:30 p.m. — It’s Lauri Markkanen and Spencer Dinwiddie in the finals. That’s not even fair! Dinwiddie is having a wonderful season in Brooklyn, and I’m riding with him for the contest as a whole.

7:22 p.m. — It’s upsetting to me that Andre Drummond, a virtual non-shooter, actually knocked down the three-pointer he was supposed to on the first try and still didn’t win the skills competition. It’s Lauri Markkanen moving on.

7:20 p.m. — Embiid was totally cheating, too.

7:18 p.m. — JOEL EMBIID FORGOT TO TAKE OFF THE TAGS ON HIS SHORTS

7:05 p.m. — Is eight players too many? Anyway, I’ve got the favorites being Lou Williams and Lauri Markkanen. No real rhyme or reason for that, but that’s what I’m going with.

Before the event

NBA All-Star Weekend is truly one of the best All-Star Game events in the world of sports. While some may prefer the MLB’s Home Run Derby, nothing compares to the slam dunk contest, three-point contest, or the skills challenge on All-Star Saturday night.

The skills challenge will be the first event to headline Saturday night. This will be the 16th edition of this high-paced, timed competition, which challenges a basketball player’s dribbling ability, shooting, and passing. The competition will be televised on TNT (live stream) beginning at 8 p.m. from L.A.’s Staples Center.

For the third-straight year, the field will be comprised of four big men and four guards. Last year, New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis won the event and was scheduled to defend his crown in Los Angeles.

However, the second-year big man suffered a torn ACL last week, effectively ending his season. He will be replaced by Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond, who was recently named to Team LeBron as an injury replacement for the All-Star Game.

The other big men who will be participating are first-time All-Star Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, Al Horford of the Boston Celtics, and rookie Lauri Markkanen of the Chicago Bulls.

The guards will be led by Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets, Buddy Hield of the Sacramento Kings, Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets, and Lou Williams of the Los Angeles Clippers.

It should be a fun event as the big men will be looking for their third-straight victory, while the guards will try to prove that they are the true kings of the court.

Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, Calif.
TV: TNT
Live stream:TNT