Damian Lillard and Victor Wembanyama among those in All-Star Saturday events

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Damian Lillard and Victor Wembanyama among those in All-Star Saturday events

2025-02-08 05:37 Last Updated At：05:51

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Damian Lillard is looking to join Larry Bird and Craig Hodges in an elite club. And Victor Wembanyama will be showing off some skills at All-Star weekend.

Lillard, the Milwaukee guard, was announced Friday as one of the entrants in this year's 3-point contest to be held at All-Star Saturday Night in San Francisco on Feb. 15.

Wembanyama, the second-year San Antonio star, will be one of eight players in the Skills Challenge at All-Star Saturday. That field was also revealed on Friday.

Lillard is bidding to win his third consecutive 3-point title — something only Bird and Hodges have done. Bird won the first three editions of the 3-point competition from 1985 through 1987; Hodges went back-to-back-to-back from 1990 through 1992.

The 3-point contest field also includes New York’s Jalen Brunson, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, Cleveland’s Darius Garland, Miami’s Tyler Herro, Golden State’s Buddy Hield, Brooklyn’s Cam Johnson and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Norman Powell.

Lillard will be making his fifth 3-point contest appearance. Hield has been in the event three previous times, winning in 2020. Brunson and Herro are both in for the second time; everyone else is making their 3-point contest debut.

The skills event is made up of two-player teams. They are Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley representing the Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington’s Alex Sarr and Atlanta’s Zaccharie Risacher representing the NBA rookie class, Wembanyama and Chris Paul representing the Spurs and Draymond Green and Moses Moody representing the host Golden State Warriors.

The dunk contest participants were formally announced earlier in the week: Orlando two-way player Mac McClung will try to become the first person to win three consecutive dunk contests. He’ll go up against San Antonio rookie Stephon Castle, Chicago rookie Matas Buzelis and Milwaukee second-year wing Andre Jackson Jr.

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Bride and groom among 8 killed in gas cylinder blast at wedding in Pakistan’s capital

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A gas cylinder explosion early Sunday after a wedding reception at a home in Pakistan’s capital killed at least eight people, including the bride and groom, police and officials said.

The blast occurred as guests who had gathered to celebrate the couple were sleeping at the house, causing part of the house to collapse, according to the Islamabad police. Seven people were injured.

In a statement, police said the explosion occurred in a residential area in the heart of the city. A government administrator, Sahibzada Yousaf, said authorities were alerted about the blast early Sunday and officers are still investigating. He said some nearby homes were also damaged.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of lives and offered condolences to the victims’ families, according to a statement from his office. He directed health authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible treatment and ordered a full investigation.

Many Pakistani households rely on liquefied petroleum gas cylinders because of low natural gas pressure, and such cylinders have been linked to deadly accidents caused by gas leaks. Police said investigations were ongoing.