basketball
NBA: Lillard wins All-Star Weekend three-way contest
Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard celebrates after winning the three-point contest. photo
© Rob Gray/AP/dpa
At the NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City, Damian Lillard puts on the crown of three, Mac McClung wins the dunk contest.
Damian Lillard clinched the title in the NBA All-Star Weekend’s three-way competition. The Portland Trail Blazers basketball pro prevailed in Salt Lake City in the final round against Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton, both active for the Indiana Pacers.
Lillard scored 26 points in the final round, one more than Hield. Lillard sunk his last four throws. In the three-pointer competition, participants must take five three-pointers each from five different positions and sink as many distance shots as possible in one minute.
Mac McClung of the Philadelpia 76ers won the dunk contest. In the final, the 24-year-old prevailed against Trey Murphy from the Indiana Pacers. McClung received full 50 points from the judges on three of his four dunks. On his final action, McClung spun the ball 540 degrees and placed it in the basket.
The third competition of the All-Star Saturday, the so-called Skills Challenge, was won by three Utah Jazz players: Jordan Clarkson, Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton. At their home ground, the trio prevailed against a team led by superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and a team of three league newcomers. The Skills Challenge combines dribble, pass and throw actions.
The highlight will take place on Sunday (local time) on the third day of the show weekend, when the best basketball players in the NBA will compete in the All-Star game.