Connaughton, Middleton set for all-star events
NEW ORLEANS – The Milwaukee Bucks are going to be well-represented during the NBA's all-star Saturday night festivities Feb. 15 at Chicago's United Center.
Two-time all-star Khris Middleton will make his first appearance in the Skills Challenge while Bucks forward Pat Connaughton will become just the fourth Milwaukee player to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest.
Middleton will be joined by Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, Los Angeles Clippers guard Pat Beverly, Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie, Detroit Pistons guard Derrick Rose, Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis, Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum in the Skills Challenge.
Tatum – last year's winner – Beverly, Dinwiddie and Rose are all past champions of the obstacle-course competition that tests players' dribbling, passing, agility and three-point shooting.
Connaughton will be dunking against Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon; Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard, a past dunk contest winner; and Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr.
Those events make up two of the three prongs of all-star Saturday night, with the third being the threepoint contest. No Bucks will be shooting triples this time around. Middleton participated in 2016 and 2019. Injured Bucks guard George Hill (left hamstring strain) is the NBA's leader in three-point percentage at 51.1%, but even if he had been healthy he was not interested in taking part in all-star weekend.