Sunday Funday: All-Star Edition

Who: Eastern Conference All-Stars (37-28) vs. Western Conference All-Stars (28-37)

Where: Smoothie King Center — New Orleans, Louisiana

When: 7:30 pm CST (TNT coverage starts at 6:00 pm CST)

Why: Back-to-back defending All-Star Game MVP Russell Westbrook looks to defend his title against a talented Eastern Conference roster (as well as his own Western Conference teammates/enemies).

Welcome back, y’all! The 66th NBA All-Star Game takes place tonight at the world famous Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Western Conference All-Stars have won the last two All-Star contests, including last year’s game that saw a combined 369 points between the two squads.

This could (and should) be the last year that the Wolves do not send at least one representative to the Sunday night scrimmage. Nevertheless, the Wolves were well-represented this weekend by Karl-Anthony Towns, who dropped 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night.

Off the court, Towns was an extremely busy man, including a stop in KG’s Area 21 where he discussed with his OG what the Wolves need to do to take the next step:

Towns also took some time to demonstrate his skills in the paint (or in this case WITH the paint) as he participated in a community project as part of the NBA Cares program.

Even without any Wolves in the big game tonight, there are still plenty of reasons to tune in. Will Steve Kerr play all four Warriors All-Stars alongside Russell Westbrook? Will Westbrook even pass the ball to Durant, even on a 2-on-1? Will Giannis Antetokounmpo attempt to dunk from the three point line? Will Kawhi Leonard dance during introductions? Will DeMarcus Cousins get a technical during an exhibition game? Will DJ Khaled’s phone ever run out of battery? Will one team (or both) top 200 points? Will Kyrie Irving’s ability to close down the stretch fall flat?

“And now, your starting lineups...”

Expected Starting Lineups

Eastern Conference All-Stars
G - Kyrie Irving
G - DeMar DeRozan
F - Jimmy Butler
F - LeBron James
F - Giannis Antetokounmpo

Eastern Conference Reserves: Isaiah Thomas, John Wall, Carmelo Anthony, Kyle Lowry, Paul George, Kemba Walker, Paul Millsap.

Western Conference All-Stars
G - Stephen Curry
G - James Harden
F - Kevin Durant
F - Kawhi Leonard
C - Anthony Davis

Western Conference Reserves: Russell Westbrook, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, DeAndre Jordan, Gordon Hayward.

As you can see, the 66th NBA All-Star Game is absolutely loaded with talent, and should provide for an entertaining Sunday night. A plethora of deep threes, highlight dunks, and a splash of pettiness makes for must-watch television.

The All-Star Game thread is open and ready for business. Enjoy your Sunday and enjoy the game.