The Madison Square Garden Theater was ready for draft night as early as 4 am, when fans begin to line up to assure they had a seat when the $15 tickets went on sale at 11 am. Fans from across the country were in attendance to cheer for their respective teams, and boo Commissioner David Stern every time he walked out to the podium. The Chicago Bulls stole some of the early shine by proposing the trade of Kirk Hinrich to the Wizards. Not to be outdone by the Bulls, the Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen decided to part ways with GM Kevin Pritchard on draft night, but let him still make draft decisions….?  The 2010 NBA Draft went pretty much as expected early, with the exception of the Utah Jazz stealing Gordon Hayward from the Pacers. The University of Kentucky set a record with 5 first round selections.

Here is a break-down of pick #1-#15:

First pick, Washington Wizards: John Wall, 6-4, 195, Kentucky, point guard.: The lock No. 1 pick, Wall has been called the most electrifying player in this year’s draft. A product of the John Calipari one-and-done mold, Wall averaged 16 points, six boards and four dimes. Wall brings the Wizards superior speed, athleticism, and late-game shot making, plus a relief from the circus of last year.

Second pick, Philadelphia 76ers: Evan Turner, 6-7, 205, Ohio State, guard. There was nothing Turner didn’t do for Ohio State, and he’s the most dynamic player in the draft. He averaged 20 points, 9 boards, and 6 dimes last season. With a good game around the basket and a solid midrange shot, Turner only needs to work on his outside shooting and ball handling. He shot 36% from three-point range and turned the ball over 4.4 times per game. Doug Collins new head coach of the 76ers gets another chance to coach a future superstar as he did in Chicago with MJ.

Third pick, New Jersey Nets: Derrick Favors, 6-10, 246, Georgia Tech, forward. A rare athlete who can explode from the floor, he’s also got a massive 7-4 wingspan. Though raw, he has shown signs of being a dominant force on both ends. He needs to add weight, improve his conditioning/shooting/ball handling and learn to play against double-teams, but he should become a special player.

Fourth pick, Minnesota Timberwoves: Wesley Johnson, 6-7, 205, Syracuse, forward. A lottery-level talent that is NBA-ready, he’s an explosive athlete who has a good mid-range game and can finish at the rim. He’s a good teammate and an underrated passer, but last season’s Big East Player of the Year needs to add weight and be more aggressive when his jumper isn’t falling. Wesley was also best-dressed.

Fifth pick, Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins, 6-11, 270, Kentucky, power forward/center. A top-five talent, with excellent athleticism, offensive and defensive skills, he’s a nightmare matchup. Many tend to be critical of his maturity, but, he was one of the best players in the country last season (15.1 points, 9.8 boards).

Sixth pick, Golden State Warriors: Ekpe Udoh, 6-10, 240, Baylor, forward. Udoh was one of the reasons Baylor emerged in the Elite 8 to face off with eventual-champion Duke. His ability to run the floor in a fast-paced offensive possession or hit a midrange shot in the half-court game led to 13 points, 9.8 boards and 3.7 blocks. He needs to improve his overall offensive game, ball-handling and add some weight.

Seventh pick, Detroit Pistons: Greg Monroe, 6-11, 253, Georgetown, forward. A huge upside–some call him a less-athletic Lamar Odom. Monroe can play with his back to the basket or face up. He averaged 16.1 points and 9.6 boards last season, and also dished 12 assists against Providence, the most by a center in Big East Conference history. Needs to prove he can dominate a game, and develop a more consistent jump shot.

Eighth pick, Clippers: Al-Farouq Aminu, 6-9, 215, Wake Forest, power forward. One of the best athletes in the draft; he uses his explosive first step to get to the bucket. He became a double-double player last season (15.8, 10.7), but is turnover prone (3.2 per game last season) and lacks ball-handling skills, relying too often on his athleticism. Still, a fine pick for an up-tempo team.

Ninth pick, Utah Jazz: Gordon Hayward, 6-8, 207, Butler, forward. He led the Bulldogs on their magical run to the NCAA title game and has a high basketball IQ, an outstanding touch (84% from free-throw line) and sneaky athleticism. He lacks post moves and will need to improve his defense in the NBA. Some question his lack of aggressiveness.

10th pick, Indiana Pacers: Paul George, 6-8, 210, Fresno State, forward. A great athlete who has deep range on his jump shot, rebounds well and can run the floor, NBA teams covet players with his size and skill set. Needs to improve his ball-handling and learn to not settle for the outside shot, but he’s an enticing player.

11th pick, New Orleans Hornets: Cole Aldrich, 6-11, 245, Kansas, center. A throwback-style big man that has good footwork and an awkward-but-efficient shooting touch, he’s also a strong shot blocker (averaged 3.5 last season) and cleans the glass well (10.5 boards his last two seasons). While not terribly athletic and fairly calm, a la Tim Duncan, Aldrich possesses strong fundamentals and better-than-average vision for his size.

12th pick, Memphis Grizzlies: Xavier Henry, 6-6, 220, Kansas, shooting guard. The smoothest player in the draft, he moves effortlessly and is a natural scorer who is deadly from outside (40%). He can slash if he needs to and finish at the rim, but he often relies on his left hand too much and can settle for outside shots. At times, he looks passive; at others, fiercely competitive.

13th pick, Toronto Raptors: Ed Davis, 6-10, 225, North Carolina, forward. After being overshadowed by Tyler Hansbrough, Davis had a breakout freshman year (13.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.8 blocks) and showcased his potential as one of the top talents. Long, athletic, with several post moves and speed to run the floor, the main knock against him is his lack of strength  he also needs a reliable jump shot  but his upside is huge.

14th pick, Houston Rockets: Patrick Patterson, 6-9, 235, Kentucky, forward. One of the more NBA-ready forwards in the draft, he made significant improvements to his game in his junior season, including becoming an outside threat (35% from behind the arc) and a defensive presence (1.3 blocks per game). His intelligence, maturity and ability to learn should help him on the next level, though he’s still undersized to be a power forward, which is exactly what Houston loves.

15th pick, Milwaukee Bucks: Larry Sanders, 6-11, 235, VCU, forward. One of the most athletic players in this draft, Sanders had a breakout season as a sophomore, when he averaged 2.7 blocks per game. As a junior, he averaged 14.4 points, 9.1 boards and 2.6 blocks. He still has some developing to do, but his combination of size and speed give him plenty of potential.

(AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Atlanta Hawks with a must win on the road played with more then they have all Playoffs. After a closely contested first half, the Hawks outscored the Bucks 29-11 in the third quarter and held on to win 83-69. Atlanta got 22 points from Joe Johnson and Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford finished with 24 points.“The bottom line today is we brought our hard hats and not our fishing caps,” Smith said. “We established ourselves early. They gave us a fight, but we were just hungry tonight. I haven’t seen us play like this the whole series.” Atlanta heads back to the Philips Center where the city will turn down Wacka Flocka Flame on the radio and tune into the Hawks game.

Milwaukee had a chance to finish off the Hawks at home and advance to the Eastern Conf. Semifinals, instead they left their offense in the locker room. Bucks shot 25 of 76 from the field for 32.9%, and 7 of 26 from deep. John Slamons and Brandon Jennings combined for 20 points on 6 of 28 shooting. Carlos Delfino had 20 and was the only player with more then 13 points. Bucks. Milwaukee may have to put the blame solely on Jerry Stackhouse for this:

Stackhouse said it was his fourth time singing the national anthem. “I’m a little disappointed that my mojo didn’t work,” he said. “I’m 3-1 now.”  Series tied 3-3.

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Once again the Lakers came out fired up, jumping out to a 13-4 lead, before the Thunder woke up to gain the lead 27-26 by the end of the first. After a back and fourth game, it came down to the final possession. Kobe missed a fade-away jumper and Pau Gasol was there to tip the ball in with .05 on the clock given the Lakers a1-point lead. Kobe lead all scorers with 32 points, and the only other Lakers in double figures were Derek Fisher, and Shannon Brown both with 11.

Ron Artest’s defense on Kevin Durant was the x-factor in this game and the series. Durant shot 5 of 23, for 26 points, which came mostly from the charity stripe where he went 14-15. Jeff Green had 16 in his best game of the series, and Russell Westbrook was solid with 21 points and 9 assists. Thunder were unable to execute with less then a minute left and the lead, allowing the Lakers multiple chances to win the game. Phil Jackson came up with an unexpected answer to a question about why visiting teams are generally more vulnerable. “You have to remember these men are out there in their underwear, in their shorts. These aren’t like the old days but they are pretty scantily clad, and they are, you know, in front of their fans. If you’re at all self-conscious, there you are.”

After a 50-win season and their first appearance in the playoffs, Oklahoma City gave the city and their fans an exciting and competitive series against the Lakers.

(Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

In the most disappointing series of this years playoffs, the Nuggets got completely embarrassed by the Utah Jazz. the above pic describes the awkwardness of this entire series. Denver was without its head coach George Karl as everyone in the world knows, and it had to affect the team in a major way. They seemed easily shook, and out of sorts on defense. Chauncey Billups led Denver with 30 points and Anthony finished with 20 points on 6 for 22 shooting.

After Carmelo’s explosion in Game 1 the Jazz won three straight and ended the series in Game 6 in front of their fans 112-104. 91 combined free throws were attempted…damn! Matthews went 13 for 15 from the free throw line.

Deron Williams had 14 points, and 10 dimes. Boozer had 22 points and 20 boards. Utah now heads to Los Angeles for a rematch of last years Round 1 matchup where the Jazz where dismissed in 5 games. Lakers were without Bynum, and the addition of Artest should be too much for the Jazz.

(AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

The Bobcats are disappointing Michael Jordan and making him look bad in front of his girlfriend. The Magic on the other hand are impressing everyone.

In Game 3, the Magic once again played the majority of the game without their Defensive Player of the Year, Dwight Howard. For some reason Dwight continues to set-up in the post with his arms high, ramming them into poor Tyson Chandlers face, and drawing offensive fouls. For the third straight game and two days after Orlando was assessed $70,000 in fines for complaining about the officiating, Howard played about half the game, finishing with 13 points, eight rebounds and seven blocks. The Magic haven’t looked shaken by the lose of Howard and instead have gotten amazing performances from Jameer Nelson, who finished with 32 points.

The only good news for Charlotte is the crowd of 19,596 was the largest to see the Bobcats in their 5-year-old arena.Magic 3-0

(AP Photo/Don Ryan)

Big emotional boost for the Blazers from the return of Brandon Roy who had surgery eight days ago. He scored 10 points, including a key 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, and the Portland Trail Blazers evened their playoff series with the Phoenix Suns at two games apiece with a 96-87 victory on Saturday. “I just didn’t feel right sitting in the training room knowing that I could contribute — so I just had to keep begging coach,” Roy said afterward. McMillan said it was a “long, sleepless night” in deciding to play Roy, the team’s unquestioned leader. He even brought owner Paul Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, in on the discussion.”All kinds of things went through my head, thinking about the risk of him reinjuring himself,” McMillan said. “But our doctors didn’t feel like Brandon could hurt himself.”

LaMarcus Aldridge was key with 31 points and 11 rebounds. I wish he and Amare Stoudemire who had 26 points, could just play one-on-one for the series. Back to Phoenix for Game 5! Series Tied 2-2

The Atlanta Hawks continue to play poorly on the road in the Playoffs. They rolled into the Bradley Center to face the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 3, but left all the intensity back in Atlanta in the Highlight Factory. Josh Smith, who mentioned there was “nothing to do” in Milwaukee earlier this week, was mostly quiet with seven points and 12 rebounds.

The Bucks shot 68 percent in the first quarter and 51 percent for the game following a three-day layoff and were never seriously threatened after building a 19-point, first-half lead. Milwaukee led by as many as 28 in the fourth as the Hawks shot 39 percent for the game. Salmons had 22 points and 37 year-old Kurt Thomas led everyone in rebounds with 13. Hawks 2-1

(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 showed that they shed all the fear that was noticeable in the first three games. In the first 3 games the Thunder had averaged 17.7 points in the first quarter, that ballooned to 29 points. There field goal percentage went from 30% to 52.6%. The Thunder out rebounded the Lakers 50 to 43 and shot 42-48 free throws compared to 17-28 for the Lakers. Durant and Westbrook together had  40 points, outscoring Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum combined!

Kobe Bryant spent the majority of the first half trying to get his teammates going. He attempted his first shot with 9:06 in the 2nd quarter. The Thunder lead the Lakers in every stat category other then field goal percentage 41.5% to 40.8%. Game 5 is Tuesday back at the Staples Center, and the Lakers are once again letting the underdog shine, reminiscent of last years Rockets series. The team with the most bench points has won each game. Series tied 2-2

(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

• No KG for the Celtics, no problem. Ray Allen shoots 7-9 from long range finishing with 25. The “Ticket Stub” Glen Davis fumbled to the rim for 23 points.
• Celtics have won the last three games they played against the Heat without Garnett.
• The Heat aren’t making a good case to keep Dwayne Wade in Miami. Every Heat player not named Dwayne shot 18-59! Wade finished with 29 points on 11-18 shooting.
• Boston outrebounded Miami 60-37
• In the first half the Heat had just one offensive rebound and took just four free throws while Boston tried 16. Celtics 2-0

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

• Grant Hill and Jason Richardson combined for 21-27 shooting for 49 points. They are a combined 66 in age.
• Steve Nash ad 13 points and 16 assists, 12 at the half.
• Suns have not lost two in a row since Jan. 26
• Blazers need a good dose of the Rose Garden to reclaim the magic from the first game. Marcus Camby blew easy layups and Andre Miller finished with 16 points after getting 31 in Game 1. Suns-1/Blazers-1

• Kobe seemed determine to put on a show, maybe it was the critics or his Dad sitting court side. Kobe had 39 points in a game the Lakers were trying to lose.
• Ron Artest’s defense on Kevin Durant was stellar once again, but he has to start making open jumpers, going 2-10 from the field with 5 points.
• Pau Gasol was nearly unstoppable with 25 points and 12 assists.
• Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 32 points and Russell Westbrook added 19, making all eight of his free throws.
• Thunder squandered points early on missed dunks, and layups. Heading home will be comforting but alas, the end is near for the Thunder. Lakers 2-0

• Phoenix and Portland came down to the last seconds in a game the Suns should have won, but played like it wasn’t the Playoffs. Andre Miller was too much for Steve Nash and the Portland defense was mightier then the 11 threes Phoenix made. Portland leads 1-0
• Phoenix needs Robin Lopez in a major way

My Main Man!! (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)

• The Bobcats are a fun team to watch, mainly due to the personalities mixed together to make this team. Gerald Wallace had 10 more rebounds then Dwight Howard.
• Speaking of Dwight Howard, 5 points is UNACCEPTABLE! Howard did have 9 blocks, and Jameer Nelson’s 32 points was enough to get the Magic the win. Orlando leads 1-0

37! (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

• The Mavs’ Dirk Nowitzki went 12-14 from the field and 12-12 FT  for 36 points.  Thats ridiculous, and sure Coach PoP wont let that happen again. Spurs are old, but are going to be the toughest out of any team in this years playoffs.
• For some reason George Hill started and finished with a big “0″. Tony Parker came off the bench with 18. Mavs lead 1-0

• Lakers too tall, and too veteran for Thunder. Artest did what he was brought to LA to do, and thats stop the best player on the opposing team. The question is can he continue to do that against Carmelo, then Dirk, then LeBron.
• Russell Westbrook purchased the casket for Derek Fishers career. Lakers lead 1-0

2010 NBA Playoffs Bracket

Hi Beyonce! (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Lakers 96, Mavericks 101:

Caron Butler sat out Wednesday’s game due to a negative reaction he had to medication. The loss provided an opportunity for DeShawn Stevenson to start. DeShawn only saw 24 minutes on the court, because 6th man since forever Jason Terry provided 30 points on 10-20 shooting in 33 minutes. As Clark Kellogg would say “Thats efficient as a heat pump”(lame). The Mavs also got 31 from Dirk Nowitzki, and Jason Kidd had 14 points and 13 dimes. He also made 4-9 from deep. The Lakers were playing the second of a back-to-back following the win in Memphis(SW). Lakers leading scorer was lamar Odom with 21 and thats a good sign normally. Derek Fisher shot 3-13, mostly bombs that would have broken a playground courts rim. Kobe finished with 20 points and moved into 13th place on the career scoring list. Bryant, who passed Reggie Miller, has 25,298 points.

Grizzlies 99, Wizards 94:

The Grizzlies were coming off a tough 99-98 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday night and had lost nine of their previous 12 games. After missing the game-winner against the Lakers O.J.Mayo scored 17 points, 10 in the fourth quarter, to help Memphis win its third straight road game. Before Mayo found his legs on offense, the Grizzlies’ big men carried the load. Zach Randolph scored 22 points, and Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol each scored 20. Marc Gasol, who scored all of his 20 points in the first three quarters, made his first 10 shots and finished 10 of 11 from the field.”It’s coming back,” Randolph said. “It’s not there yet. We’ve got to keep working, pushing it out. (Tuesday) was a big game, it hurt us. But we bounced back today and played hard against a scrappy young team.” Andray Blatche who has been BALLING since the trade led the Wizards with 24 points. Al Thornton, making his first start for Washington, had 16 points and a season-high 11 rebounds. It was the Wizards’ first game without forward Josh Howard, who was ruled out for the season because of an ACL tear just four games after joining the team in a trade.

AP Photo/Bahram Mark Sobhani

Thunder 87, Spurs 95

The Spurs are old, they have young players like George Hill, and Dejuan Blair, but the core remains the same. The trio of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan showed the Oklahoma City Thunder and there superstar Kevin Durant how to win a tough basketball game. Tony Parker returned to the starting lineup but had another rough game, scoring four points in 26 minutes. With Parker back, the Spurs unveiled their 19th different starting lineup this season while searching for a rotation that works. Absent from the lineup was Richard Jefferson whose 12 points per game are his lowest since his rookie year. Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 26 points. His last field goal was a big 3-pointer a minute after he made the defensive play of the game and maybe the season for the Spurs. Kevin Durant collected the ball after a Spurs miss and took off to the basket. Little did he know Manu was trailing and just as he was about to drop the ball in the basket, Manu got his hand on the ball swatting it away. That block won the game for the Spurs and halted Kevin Durants 25+ points game streak. Durant finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds. He missed all four shots he took in the fourth, including a 3-pointer in the final minute that ended any hope of a comeback. Durant’s streak of 25-plus point games is a franchise record and was the longest since Michael Jordan‘s 40 in a row in 1986-87.

Magic 110, Rockets 92:

The Rockets were without Trevor Ariza, and defensively his lost was noticeable. Orlando had 60 at halftime and Dwight Howard finished with 30 points and 16 rebounds. The Rockets aka “The Littles” played Hilton Armstrong for the first time since being traded from Sacramento. He did next to nothing. The Rockets bright spot was Aaron Brooks 24 points and Kevin Martin finding his touch after losing it on way to Houston.

Seize the Day! AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps

Hornets 95, Bucks 115:

Every game the Hornets play without Chris Paul is a tough one. Odds are they will probably lose. But the play of rookies Marcus Thorton, and Darren Collison have been encouraging. They combined for 47 points and were the majority of the offense for the Hornets, aside from 19 points and 9 boards by David West.  The Bucks are playing solid ball lately, and are .500, which is a big deal to Milwaukee. Andrew Bogut had 26 points and 13 rebounds.John Salmons added 18 points for the Bucks. Salmons has reached double figures in all four games since being traded at the deadline from Chicago and in his last eight overall. ”We’ve played pretty well in this stretch,” said Bogut, who had his fourth straight double-double in Milwaukee’s fourth straight win. “We’ve got to stay grounded, though. We’re at .500, that’s nothing to be proud about.

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

On Sunday Kevin Durant extended his streak of games with at least 25 points to 28 games. No active player in the NBA has had more consecutive games with at least 25 points in their career than Durant’s current streak. LeBron James, the NBA’s leading scorer, did it 21 games in a row in 2008. Allen Iverson also did it in 27 in a row from Jan. 12-March 9, 2001. Durant’s current streak is the longest since Michael Jordan had 40 straight games of 25 or more points in the 1986-87 season. His Oklahoma City Thunder have won 9 straight and are 20-8 during Durant’s streak. “It’s just me being aggressive,” Durant said. “It’s cool, but I’m glad we got nine in a row. That’s a first for me in my career and I’d rather have that.”

The Thunder host the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. The last time the Thunder played them, Durant led all scores with 38 points(on 12-20 shooting/ 11-14 from the free throw line)  and the Thunder won. In order for Kevin Durant to win the MVP, he must accomplish something that LeBron James, or any other NBA player hasn’t done in recent history. That accomplishment is going 41 games straight with 25 or more points. The Thunder must also win the majority of these games or all of this will be worthless.

Durant has scored 25 or more against the next 13 opponents the Thunder face except for the Toronto Raptors who the Thunder have yet to play this season. The 13 games are attainable and with Russell Westbrook, stepping up his game, it makes it that much easier for Durant to score 25. There isnt a player in the NBA that could “shut-down” Durant. His height and quickness are a rare mix, like Tracy McGrady when he was young, but two inches taller.

Sure LeBron and Kobe are the front-runners for the MVP, but they have solid veteran players surrounding them. Durant is coached by Scott Brooks….enough said. Kevin Durant for MVP!

Everything is bigger in Texas, the food, the people, and the stadiums. This years NBA All-Star game is taking place in the Dallas Cowboys Stadium. NBA Commissioner David Stern said because of the collaboration between Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, “The result is now we’re going to wind up having the largest crowd attend a game in the history of the world.”

Both Jones and Cuban have said they hoped the NBA would try to surpass 100,000 fans. The building record is 105,121, set during the New York Giants’ 33-31 victory over the Cowboys in the home opener. During a recent interview with The News’ Eddie Sefko,  Stern remarked that the All-Star Game will “set and retire” basketball’s attendance record.

ALL-STAR WEEK SCHEDULE

WEDNESDAY

4-10 p.m.: All-Star Jam Session presented by Adidas, Dallas Convention Center: This one is for the kiddies. I’m not sure anything happens during the “jam session” other then kids screaming!

THURSDAY

4-10 p.m.: All-Star Jam Session presented by Adidas, Dallas Convention Center: Another Jam Session, just in case you didnt get enough Jam in the first one!

FRIDAY

4-10 p.m.: All-Star Jam Session presented by Adidas, Dallas Convention Center: This is ridiculous, another Jam Session. The kids are gonna be Jammed out!

6-8 p.m.: All-Star Celebrity Game, Jam Session Center Court, Dallas Convention Center: The fun of watching your favorite celebrity show that he shouldn’t quit his day job.

8 p.m.: T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, American Airlines Center: The Rookies have lost seven straight years to the Sophomores, but Derrick Rose was excused from playing because he was chosen as an All-Star reserve. The height of the Sophomore team could lead to problems for the Rookies, and make it 8 in a row for the Sophomores

Rookie Roster

Sophomore Roster

SATURDAY

9 a.m.-10 p.m.: All-Star Jam Session presented by Adidas, Dallas Convention Center: What a surprise another Jam Session!

7 p.m.: All-Star Saturday Night (Haier Shooting Stars, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, Sprite Slam Dunk), American Airlines Center:

The Haier Shooting Stars consists of a current NBA player teaming up with a NBA Legend and a player from the WNBA, in a shoot off, how exciting!

The Slam-Dunk Contest has definitly been worth watching recently, but I’m not sure this lineup is going to show us anything we haven’t seen before. Look out for DeMar DeRozan as our pick for the Slam Dunk crown.

At the beggining of the season we knew Stephen Curry was a lock for the 3-Point Contest, but the veteran additions of Paul Pierce, and Chauncey Billups may make it difficult for him to win.

Derrick Rose looks to defend his title in the Skills Competiton against Deron Williams, Steve Nash, and Brandon Jennings.

SUNDAY, FEB. 14

7 p.m.: 59th All-Star Game, Cowboys Stadium, Arlington: At Last the Game itself.

Here are the starters for the East and West,