For the first time in league history, the All-Star Game and each of the other marquee events will be held on the same day. The Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest will take place prior to the start of the All-Star Game, with the Slam Dunk Contest taking place during halftime.
The format will follow last year’s game, with the two teams competing to win each of the first three quarters, which will be 12 minutes each. For the fourth quarter, the clock will be turned off and a target score will be set, and whichever team reaches that target score first wins the game. Also similar to last season, the league will honor Kobe Bryant by factoring in 24 into the final target score, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
All-Star starters, as well as captains of the two teams, will be announced Thursday night, followed by an All-Star Draft, where the captains will select their own teams, similar to the past two years.