In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA is doing everything it can to keep fans engaged, and they continued their efforts on Easter Sunday night as they kicked off the NBA HORSE Challenge featuring current and former NBA and WNBA stars.
Trae Young v. Chauncey Billups
Despite taking an early H-O-R lead, Trae Young was unable to hold on as Chauncey Billups rallied to tie it up at H-O-R-S. Chauncey finished Trae with a 3-point shot from the top of the key off the glass.
Young cited the Oklahoma wind as a disadvantage, and that’s something all Oklahomans can understand, but nevertheless, Billups moves on to the second round.
Tamika Catchings v. Mike Conely Jr.
Mike Conley managed to take an easy H-O-R-S lead against Tamika Catchings before he picked up his first letter, but it should be stated that he was shooting on his indoor court while she was shooting on her driveway goal.
Catchings gave it her best effort, but Conley stepped up the creativity level as he was able to knock down a weak-hand layup from behind the glass. Catchings was unable to hit, giving Conley the win and advancing him to the second round.
Zach Lavine v. Paul Pierce
2x NBA Slam Dunk champion Zach Lavine went to work on Paul Pierce early as he put together a number of layup versions of slam dunk tricks. Lavine’s athleticism and creativity put Pierce in a H-O-R-S hole.
Still, it was Lavine’s shooting ability that clutched the win for him as he knocked down an incredibly deep three that Pierce missed, and it was a clean sweep that moved Lavine on to the second round.
Chris Paul v. Allie Quigley
Chris Paul picked up the first two letters of the game after he and Allie Quigley exchanged a number of makes, but Quigley missed her next attempt. Paul managed to get Quigley an H, but he shortly picked up another two letters to move him to H-O-R-S.
Down 4 letters to 1, Paul hit a tricky one-footed back-to-the-goal shot to give Quigley an O followed by a a no-rim layup to give Quigley an R.
Quigley got a chance to seal the deal a couple of times, and Paul was able to hold on for a while, but Quigley knocked down a bank free throw, which Paul was unable to hit. The miss knocked him out of the competition and allowed Allie to advance to the next round.
The semifinal round of the NBA HORSE Challenge will feature Chauncey Billups v. Mike Conely Jr. and Zach Lavine v. Allie Quigley. Those matchups will take place on Thursday evening at 8 PM CT on ESPN.
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