Kristaps Porzingis

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Knicks on the Court: Dec 8 vs. Nets

Jonah Ballow

Defending champion and 2018 NBA All-Star Kristaps Porzingis of the New York Knicks and All-Stars Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers and Al Horford of the Boston Celtics will compete in the 2018 Taco Bell® Skills Challenge on Saturday, Feb. 17 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Joining the three All-Star big men in the eight-player field are guard Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets, forward Lauri Markkanen of the Chicago Bulls, guard Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz, guard Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets and guard Lou Williams of the LA Clippers.

The 16th Taco Bell Skills Challenge is part of State Farm® All-Star Saturday Night, which will air on TNT and ESPN Radio at 8 p.m. ET.  All-Star Saturday Night also includes the JBL Three-Point Contest and Verizon Slam Dunk.

In addition to the star-studded competitions, Daytime Emmy® Award winner and Extra host Mario Lopez will welcome fans and introduce the night, while Grammy® Award nominee Andra Day and Academy® Award winner Common will perform a special rendition of the 2018 Academy Award-nominated song “Stand Up for Something” from the movie Marshall.  Part of the NBA Voices platform and in celebration of Black History Month, the performance will feature current and former NBA and WNBA players and incorporate words chosen by a handful of players that reflect black history and culture, and their collective commitment to equality and diversity.

With Porzingis, Embiid, Horford and Markkanen competing, this marks the third straight year that four big men will be showing off their versatility in the previously guard-focused event.  Big men were crowned champion in each of the last two competitions, with the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns winning in 2016 and Porzingis defeating Gordon Hayward in last year’s final round.

The three-round, obstacle-course competition, which tests dribbling, passing, agility and three-point-shooting skills, will feature a head-to-head, bracket-style tournament format.  The four big men will be on one side of the bracket and the four guards will be on the other side of the bracket.  First-round matchups will be announced at a later date.

2018 Taco Bell Skills Challenge Participants

Taco Bell Skills Challenge RulesTwo players compete simultaneously on identical courses and the fastest finisher reaches the next round.  In the first round, the eight players are paired to participate in four head-to-head competitions.  The four winners advance to the second round, where two more head-to-head showdowns determine the two finalists.  Click here for a complete explanation of the rules.

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All-Star Kristaps Porzingis To Defend Title  In 2018 Skills Challenge

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Gallery: KP and Dirk Prep for NBA Africa Game

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Gallery: Porzingis, Taco Bell Skills Challenge Champ (2/18)

The biggest big of the bigs took home of the Taco Bell Skills Challenge on Saturday night.  Kristaps Porzingis showcased his all-around skills to defeat DeMarcus Cousins in the first round, Nikola Jokic in the second, and Gordon Hayward in the final matchup between the guard and big.

It's a good feeling that I'm able to showcase my skill with my size and show to the kids that you're capable of doing that even if you're tall and lanky like me,” Porzingis articulated following the win.  “I think a lot of kids now growing up will improve those perimeter skills just seeing guys like -- I don't want to mention myself, but big guys with perimeter skills that can do it.”

The Taco Bell Skills Challenge features an obstacle course with the participants passing the ball through a tire, weaving through cardboard defenders, finishing a layup, and hitting the 3-pointer.  The 7-3 Porzingis nailed the chest pass on each of his course runs.

“Before we started doing it, while I was doing the walk through, I knew that the pass and the shot on the three-pointer was the most important parts of that. And I was able to make the pass on the first try all three times. And then in the final, that last shot just went in. So just a little bit of luck,” Porzingis added.

Last year, Karl-Anthony Towns won the title for the big men and now, Porzingis makes it two consecutive successful Skills Challenges for the 7-footers.  The question begs, will we see Porzingis defend the crown?

“I don't know yet. When next year comes, I've got to make a decision again. But I should defend this trophy for sure,” Porzingis smiled.

The Knicks standout second-year man completes a clean sweep of his 2017 All-Star festivities.  On Friday night, Porzingis and Willy Hernangomez helped the World team dispatch the USA team in the Rising Stars Challenge.  Porzingis scored 24 points and grabbed 10 boards in the victory.

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7-3 Porzingis Wins One for the Bigs, Takes Home Skills Challenge Trophy

For the second consecutive year, Kristaps Porzingis shined in the first event of the NBA’s midseason showcase.  Porzingis scored 30 in last year’s Rising Stars Challenge in Toronto and followed up that performance with a 24-point night in New Orleans on Friday evening.

“I know what to expect,” Porzingis stated.  “I know what type of game it’s going to be, but this year I wanted to win.  Last year we lost as the World Team.  This year we got the win.”

Powered by Porzingis, Buddy Hield (28 points), and Jamal Murray’s MVP (36 points) outing, the World team exacted revenge from last year’s defeat in the 150-134 victory.  Along with the 24 points on 68 percent shooting from the floor, Porzingis also snagged 10 boards in just 23 minutes. 

“I’m glad that we got the win, first of all.  It was a lot of fun.  We had a lot of fun.  I felt like we could’ve done a better job.  We turned the ball over a little too much.  I kind of take the game seriously.  But it was fun.  Guys had some nice plays for the fans and the crowd was entertained so we’re happy,” Porzingis smiled.

Porzingis’ good friend and teammate, Willy Hernangomez joined the festivities on Friday night as part of his first All-Star experience.  The rookie recorded six rebounds for the victorious World squad.

“I’m really happy for him,” Porzingis added.  “I felt like he had to be here. He deserved to be here from the beginning.  I’m happy that they called him after Joel Embiid was out.  It was a nice moment for us to enjoy this together.  We’ve been through a lot together. And now we’re here and this was a nice event for us.”

Hernangomez will head out from the Big Easy tomorrow to enjoy some vacation time before the Knicks report back to practice next Tuesday.  Porzingis will take part in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge on Saturday night in New Orleans.

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Porzingis Shines with 24 Points, Hernangomez Grabs 6 Boards, and World Team Defeats USA

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Gallery: Rising Stars Challenge Morning Practice (2/17)

Early in January, Kristaps Porzingis hinted at a possible appearance at one of the events during All-Star Saturday Night.  On Thursday night, the league confirmed, the Unicorn will get a chance to show off all of his incredible abilities at the Taco Bell Skills Challenge.

Last year, the format was altered as the contestants battled in a single elimination tournament format.  The twist involved a guard and frontcourt player guaranteed to square off in the final.  This year’s participants are: Porzingis, DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, Isaiah Thomas, Gordon Hayward, Devin Booker, and John Wall.

The 7-3 Porzingis is a modern marvel with his overall skill-set.  The second-year standout is a rare player that can run the floor, shoot from deep, and swat shots at an extreme height.  This season, Porzingis is averaging 18.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and two blocked shots per game.  The big man is also connecting on 37.9 percent of his five attempts from the arc and 45 percent from the floor.

Stay tuned to Knicks.com for comprehensive coverage during All-Star weekend in New Orleans.