With NBA fans champing at the bit for something to fill the void of professional basketball in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the league announced it will hold a televised H-O-R-S-E competition on April 12 and April 16.
The competition will see players face off in one-on-one matches from their own isolated home gyms, and will feature stars from the NBA, WNBA and the Hall of Fame.
“Beginning Sunday, April 12 at 7 p.m. ET, (Chris) Paul, (Trae) Young, (Tamika) Catchings, Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine, three-time WNBA All-Star Allie Quigley of the Chicago Sky, Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley Jr. and NBA Finals MVPs Chauncey Billups and Paul Pierce will match shots against one another in a single-elimination H-O-R-S-E competition from their respective, isolated home courts. ESPN NBA commentator Mark Jones will serve as the official host,” the network announced via a release.
The pairings for this Sunday's NBA HORSE Challenge on ESPN have been revealed, and they are
Chauncey Billups vs. Zach LaVine
Tamika Catchings vs. Chris Paul
Mike Conley Jr. vs. Paul Pierce
Trae Young vs. Allie Quigley pic.twitter.com/jiT25Xt480— ESPN (@espn) April 9, 2020
Here’s how the two dates break down:
Sunday, April 12
• Quarter-finals Group 1: Trae Young vs. Chauncey Billups
• Quarter-finals Group 1: Tamika Catchings vs. Mike Conley Jr.
• Quarter-finals Group 2: Zach LaVine vs. Paul Pierce
• Quarter-finals Group 2: Chris Paul vs. Allie Quigley
Thursday, April 16
• Group 1: Semi-finals
• Group 2: Semi-finals
• HORSE Championship Game
The NBA has previously hosted H-O-R-S-E competitions as part of its All-Star weekends in 2009 and 2010.
The schoolyard game requires players to take turns shooting the basketball — often in difficult or creative ways — and then matching their competitors’ made shots. If a contestant misses a completed shot, they earn a letter until they’ve picked up ‘H-O-R-S-E’ and are eliminated.
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