Dame Time! Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard wins 3-point contest at NBA All-Star Saturday Night
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SALT LAKE CITY — There was no Steph Curry or Klay Thompson for this year’s NBA 3-point contest.
But Indiana’s Buddy Hield, the league leader in 3-pointers made this season and the contest’s winner in 2020, and Portland’s long-range shooter Damian Lillard participated and put on a show.
Lillard, wearing a jersey from Weber State where he played college basketball in nearby Ogden, Utah, outshot Hield and Hield’s Pacers teammate Tyrese Haliburton to win his first 3-point contest in his third try.
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Lillard participated in the event in 2020 and 2019.
Here’s a look at this year’s 3-point contest, which did not feature 2022 champion Karl-Anthony Towns:
How did Damian Lillard win?
Lillard totaled 26 points in the first round and advanced to the finals with Hield (23 points) and Haliburton (31 points).
In the final round, Hield went first and posted 25 points, making seven of his final eight shots.
Lillard started strong, making 10 of his first 16 shots, but he also needed a strong finish. Going into his final rack of basketballs, Lillard needed to make at least four 3s, including his money ball shot worth two points. He made it suspenseful. He missed his first shot and then made his final four for 26 points to surpass Hield.
Haliburton went last, but it was an anticlimactic finish as he started off poorly with just two makes in his first 11 shots and was unable to pass Lillard.
Who is Damian Lillard?
Lillard is one of the game’s premier scoring guards. He is a seven-time All-Star, including this season, and is averaging 31.4 points, good for fourth-best in the NBA this year.
Known for Dame Time when he has a knack for making big shots at key times in the game, Lillard, along with Steph Curry, started stretching the court with deep 3-pointers – sometimes taking shots from near the logo at halfcourt. Lillard is No. 4 in 3-pointers made this season (191), tied for second in 3-pointers made per game (4.2) and No. 2 in 3-point attempts per game (11.2).
He has spent his 11-year career with the Trail Blazers.
Who else was in the 3-point contest?
Miami’s Tyler Herro, who is 29th in 3-pointers, missed his first seven attempts and had trouble catching up; New York’s Julius Randle, a late add to the event, struggled as did Sacramento’s Kevin Huerter; Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Utah’s Lauri Markkanen were solid with 20 points in the first round but it wasn’t enough. All five were eliminated and did not advance to the finals.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dame Time! Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard wins 3-point contest at NBA All-Star Saturday Night