NBA HORSE Challenge: Date, Players, Bracket, How To Watch 2020 Basketball Tournament

The 2019-2020 NBA season remains suspended for the foreseeable future because of the coronavirus pandemic, but basketball is set to return in some form very soon. The league announced Thursday that it will hold a HORSE competition featuring current NBA and WNBA players, as well as a few legends.

Eight contestants will make up the field for the NBA HORSE Challenge Presented by State Farm. The presenting sponsor is donating more than $200,000 to charities focused on coronavirus response efforts.

Four quarterfinal matchups are scheduled for Sunday night from 7-9 p.m. EDT. The winners will advance to the semifinals, which will be held Thursday, April 16 from 9-11 p.m. EDT. The HORSE Championship Game is also scheduled for Thursday night.

ESPN will have the TV broadcast. A live stream will be available with WatchESPN and the ESPN app for the entire competition.

Atlanta Hawks guard and 2004 NBA Finals MVP Chancey Billups will meet in the first round of the tournament. Chicago Bulls guard Zach Lavine and 2008 NBA Finals MVP Paul Pierce make up the other quarterfinal matchup that features two male contestants.

Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley will face off with WNBA legend Tamika Catchings. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul goes head to head with Chicago Sky star Allie Quigley, who’s been a WNBA All-Star in three straight seasons.

Lavine is a two-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner. Young and Paul both made the 2020 All-Star Game.

The NBA has experimented with HORSE in the past. Paul Westphal won the HORSE competition that the league held during the 1977-1978 season. Kevin Durant was the HORSE champion in both 2009 and 2010 when the competition was part of All-Star Weekend.

All players will compete on basketball courts at home in separate locations.