Boston Celtics All-Star Weekend TV Guide

All-Star weekend is being held in Toronto this year and the Boston Celtics are very well represented. Despite the snub of Kelly Olynyk in the three-point competition, there are still three events that all Celtics’ fans should keep an eye on. Here’s a guide for All-Star weekend so you don’t miss a second of the action.

Rising Stars Challenge – Marcus Smart

Marcus Smart will try to start All-Star weekend out on the right foot. He’s competing in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night at 9PM ET. You can watch this game on TNT or listen to it on ESPN Radio.

The Rising Stars Challenge is an exhibition game between rookies and second year players. They are divided into Team USA against Team World.

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Marcus Smart is finally starting to hit his stride in the NBA and is playing the best basketball in his young career. In 34 games for the Celtics this season, Smart have averaged 9.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game in 27.1 minutes. The emergence of Isaiah Thomas this season has caused Smart to have a permanent spot on the bench. Recently, Smart has been a catalyst off the bench for Boston as his shooting has started to improve. He is a good defender and is mostly used as a defensive specialist by the Celtics.

In a game where offense is what will make headlines, Smart may not have the best game. Smart is a streaky shooter and if he can get going, which he should considering the defensive intensity won’t be tough, then he could splash in some threes this game.

Smart will be joined by Jordan Clarkson of the Los Angeles Lakers, Jahlil Okafor of the Philadelphia 76ers, Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns and Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves, along with others.

Team World consists of three Canadians, Andrew Wiggins of the Timberwolves, Dwight Powell of the Dallas Mavericks and Trey Lyles of the Utah Jazz. Team World also has rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis of the New York Knicks and more.

Taco Bell Skills Challenge – Isaiah Thomas

In day two of All-Star weekend, Isaiah Thomas will show off his quickness and skill set in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge. It’s the second event in an event filled Saturday night, starting around 8:30PM ET on TNT.

The Skills Challenge is an obstacle course that tests quickness, agility, passing and shooting. This is the second year that there will be a head-to-head bracket used.

There will be a new champion this year as an injured Patrick Beverley will be replaced by rookie Emmanuel Mudiay after tweaking his ankle.

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This will be the first year that four front court players are in the competition. Karl-Anthony Towns of the Timberwolves, Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors, DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings and Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans are competing this year. Jordan Clarkson of the Lakers and C.J. McCollum of the Portland Trailblazers will try to continue the guard dominance in this competition.

Thomas has good shot at winning this competition as he is one of the quickest players in the competition and leads the competition at 6.6 assists per game. He also shoots 34.7 percent from behind the arc this season.

All-Star Game – Isaiah Thomas

This is what the weekend is all about, the All-Star game. Isaiah Thomas will be representing the Boston Celtics this season after putting together a great all-around season thus far. Thomas has averages of 21.5 points, 6.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game in 32.5 minutes. He also shoots 42.3 percent from the field and a very impressive 34.7 percent from three.

The game is at 8PM ET on TNT and can be listened to on ESPN Radio on Sunday night.

This is a huge honor for both Thomas and the Celtics. Thomas will tie Calvin Murphy as the shortest All-Star in NBA history at 5’9″.

Feb 10, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) shoots against Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul Pierce (34) in overtime at TD Garden. Celtics defeated the Clippers in overtime 139-134. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

In a game that doesn’t feature much defense and is all about scoring, Isaiah Thomas has a very good chance of showing up big. He is one of the most explosive players in the league and can score as well as anyone, especially if not guarded. Here’s my bold prediction, Isaiah Thomas will be the All-Star Game MVP.

The starters in this game for the Eastern Conference include Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors, Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat, Carmelo Anthony of the Knicks, LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Paul George of the Indiana Pacers.

The Western Conference starters are Stephen Curry of the Warriors, Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant of the Thunder, Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs and Kobe Bryant of the Lakers.

Next: Boston Won't Find Another Isaiah Thomas

Oh yeah, this is also Kobe Bryant’s last All-Star game, so enjoy that as well.

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