Atlanta Hawks All-Star forward Paul Millsap will replace injured All-Star forward Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans in the Shooting Stars during All-Star Saturday Night on Feb. 14 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
In addition, Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton will replace the injured Michael Carter-Williams of the Philadelphia 76ers and Hawks guard Dennis Schröder will replace Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls in Saturday night’s Skills Challenge. Butler, an All-Star guard, is resting his strained right shoulder.
Both events will be televised exclusively by TNT, which starts its coverage at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Degree Shooting Stars features four teams composed of one current NBA player, one current WNBA player and an NBA legend competing in a two-round, timed shooting competition. The Skills Challenge, an obstacle-course competition that tests dribbling, passing, agility and shooting skills, showcases a head-to-head, bracket-style tournament format for the first time.
Millsap, one of a record-tying four 2015 All-Stars for Atlanta, is averaging 16.8 points, a team-high 7.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 53 games. The two-time All-Star will be teamed with six-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen and two-time WNBA All-Star Elena Delle Donne of the Chicago Sky in the Degree Shooting Stars.
Payton, the NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for January, leads all rookies in assists (5.7 apg) and ranks second in steals (1.55 spg) to go with 7.9 points in 56 games. His first-round opponent in the eight-player Taco Bell® Skills Challenge will be All-Star guard Jeff Teague of Atlanta.
Schröder, the 17th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft presented by State Farm, is averaging 8.5 points and 3.5 assists in 52 games for the Hawks. His first-round opponent will be All-Star guard Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors. Schröder and Payton will also play in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 13, at Barclays Center.
