The league announced Thursday it will hold a HORSE competition featuring past and present players from the NBA and WNBA. All-Stars like Chris Paul, Trae Young and Allie Quigley are set to battle on their own isolated home courts for the title of 2020 NBA HORSE Challenge champion.
But the single-elimination competition isn’t just about entertainment. State Farms plans to donate more than $200,000 on behalf of the participants to charities helping with coronavirus relief efforts. Players will be focused on their shooting, but they are dishing out some huge assists to those in need.
Here’s what we know about the HORSE Challenge, including how to watch the competition and the full list of participants.
MORE: Odds to win the NBA HORSE Challenge
When is the NBA HORSE tournament?
Date: Sunday, April 12 and Thursday, April 16 TV channel: ESPN Live stream: ESPN app
The NBA’s HORSE tournament is scheduled to start Sunday, April 12 with the four quarterfinal head-to-head matchups. It will end Thursday, April 16 with the semifinals and finals.
NBA HORSE game TV schedule
ESPN has exclusive rights to the 2020 NBA HORSE Challenge. It can also be watched through the ESPN app. Mark Jones will serve as the official host of the competition.
Encore presentations of the quarterfinal matchups will be available to watch both after the live showing of the quarterfinals and prior to the semifinals and finals.
MORE: How does HORSE work? Here’s a rules refresher
NBA HORSE competition lineup
Heading into the HORSE Challenge, Paul and Young (+300) are viewed as the co-favorites to win, according to betting odds from Bovada. Young will face former NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups (+800) in his first game, and Paul will look to advance past Quigley, a strong value pick given her odds (+1,000). She won back-to-back 3-point Contests in 2017 and 2018, so her range and consistency could be a factor.
The rest of the participants: Tamika Catchings (+1,200), Mike Conley (+450), Zach LaVine (+350), Paul Pierce (+750).
NBA HORSE Challenge results
Group 1: Chauncey Billups def. Trae Young Group 1: Mike Conley def. Tamika Catchings Group 2: Zach LaVine def. Paul Pierce Group 2: Allie Quigley def. Chris Paul Semifinal: Mike Conley vs. Chauncey Billups Semifinal: Zach LaVine vs. Allie Quigley Final: TBD vs. TBD
NBA HORSE Challenge rules
The NBA’s version of HORSE follows the traditional format of the game. A player must describe his or her shot attempt before shooting. (A coin toss at the beginning of the game will determine who shoots first.) For example, a player could call a bank shot from the wing or a swish only shot from the top of the key.
One important rule to note: No dunking. Sorry, Zach.
If the shot is made, the other player must match it, or that player will receive a letter. If the shot is missed, the other player can proceed to describe and attempt his or her own shot.
The first player in each matchup to spell out “HORSE” will be eliminated.
