NBA All-Star Weekend highlights TV menu

The NBA’s All-Star Weekend takes center stage in New York City, where NBA All-Star Saturday Night (5:30 p.m., TNT (18)) at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center will serve as an entertaining appetizer for Sunday’s main event (NBA All-Star Game, 5:30 p.m., TBS (7), TNT (18)) at Madison Square Garden.

Golden State guards Klay Thompson — who replaced injured Lakers guard Kobe Bryant — and Steph Curry, the leading vote-getter in the fan balloting, will become the Warriors’ first duo of All-Star starters since 1967, when Rick Barry earned Most Valuable Player honors and started alongside Nate Thurmond.

The “Splash Brothers” also will compete in one of the strongest fields ever in the Three-Point Contest, which promises to be more memorable than the tired Slam Dunk Contest. Joining Curry and Thompson in the shootout are defending champion Marco Belinelli of the San Antonio Spurs and 2013 champion Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Other sharpshooters entered are Atlanta’s Kyle Korver, who leads the league in 3-point percentage (52.3); Houston’s James Harden, the NBA’s leading scorer (27.4 ppg); Los Angeles Clippers guard J.J. Redick; and Portland’s Wesley Matthews.

Harden replaced injured Clippers forward Blake Griffin in the Western Conference’s starting lineup for Sunday’s game, and Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki replaced injured Pelicans forward Anthony Davis.

Nowitzki joins 11 other players who have been selected to at least 13 NBA All-Star Games: Kareem Abdul-Jabaar (19), Bryant (17), Kevin Garnett (15), Shaquille O’Neal (15), Tim Duncan (15), Michael Jordan (14), Karl Malone (14), Jerry West (14), Wilt Chamberlain (13), Bob Cousy (13) and John Havlicek (13).

The West also will feature NBA MVP Kevin Durant and Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook, and the East will be led by four-time league MVP LeBron James.

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony is slated to start for the East, but the gunner said Thursday it’s “very likely” he’ll shut it down for the rest of the season after the game because of a chronically sore left knee.

One thing’s for certain. Sunday’s showcase will be the most exciting NBA game played this season in New York, where the Knicks are a league-worst 10-43.

NBA Rising Stars Challenge (6 p.m., TNT (18)) — The NBA has changed the format for this annual high-scoring shootout from rookies vs. sophomores to first- and second-year players from the United States against first- and second-year players from the World. Michael Carter-Williams, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, will lead the Americans against the World, which will be led by Andrew Wiggins, the 2014 No. 1 overall draft pick from Canada.

BEST OF REST — NBA All-Star Celebrity Game (4 p.m. ESPN (30)); No. 7 Arizona at Washington (6 p.m., ESPN (30)); PGA Tour, Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, second round (noon, TGC (339)).

SATURDAY

BEST OF REST — No. 23 Ohio State at Michigan State (9 a.m., ESPN (30)); No. 16 Baylor at No. 8 Kansas (10 a.m., CBS (8)); No. 21 West Virginia at No. 14 Iowa State (1 p.m., ESPN2 (31)); No. 6 Villanova at No. 18 Butler (3 p.m., CBSSN (333)); No. 4 Duke at Syracuse (3 p.m., ESPN (30)); Colorado State at San Diego State (5 p.m., CBSSN (333)); Washington Capitals at Los Angeles Kings (7 p.m., FSW (49)).

SUNDAY

BEST OF REST — Pittsburgh Penguins at Chicago Blackhawks (9:30 a.m., NBC (3)); Illinois at No. 5 Wisconsin (10 a.m., CBS (8)); PGA Tour, Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, final round (10 a.m., TGC (339), noon, CBS (8)); No. 7 Arizona at Washington State (3:30 p.m., FS1 (329)); Washington Capitals at Anaheim Ducks (5 p.m., Prime (50)); California at No. 11 Utah (5:30 p.m., ESPNU (320)).

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow him on Twitter: @tdewey33.