N.B.A
Stephen Curry defeats Sabrina Ionescu in a three-way competition
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry and New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu pose for photo
© Darron Cummings/AP
At NBA All-Star Weekend, Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu will meet in a three-way competition. The duel ends with a close result.
The NBA’s All-Star Weekend features a male professional from the NBA for the first time National Basketball Association and a player from the WNBA competed directly against each other in a three-way competition. Stephen Curry narrowly prevailed against Sabrina Ionescu at the show event in Indianapolis. The Golden State Warriors’ builder scored 29 points, while Ionescu from the New York Liberty scored 26.
“She set the bar very high, which was incredible to watch. When I missed two three-pointers in a row, I knew I had to get going,” said Curry, who took over after Ionescu. Regarding the duel between NBA player and WNBA player, Ionescu said: “If you can throw, you can throw. It doesn’t matter whether you are a girl or a boy. All that matters is your heart and that you want to be the best you can only be.”
After Ionescu scored a record 37 points in last year’s WNBA women’s basketball league three-way contest, she challenged Curry. Within a minute, both took five shots from five positions behind the NBA three-point line, i.e. from a greater distance than Ionescu is used to in the WNBA.
In the NBA’s actual three-way competition, Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks defended his title – the first player since Jason Kapono in 2008. Lillard scored 26 points in the final round, finishing just ahead of Trae Young (24 points) and Karl-Anthony Towns (22).
In the dunk competition, Mac McClung from the NBA Development League prevailed in the final against Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics. On his last attempt, McClung dunked over the 2.16 meter tall NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and received the highest score of 50. McClung had already won the competition last season.
The highlight of the show event will take place on Sunday (local time) with the All-Star Game, when the best NBA players will compete against each other.