The stars were out for NBA All-Star Saturday Night this weekend, as some of the NBA’s best competed in the Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest and the Slam Dunk Contest.
The show got started with the Skills Challenge. First time All-Stars Bam Adebayo and Domantas Sabonis found themselves in the finals squaring off. Adebayo of the Miami Heat, who had the worst odds to win the challenge (+1200), came out on top.
Bam Adebayo defeats Domantas Sabonis in the Finals to win the #TacoBellSkills challenge! #NBAAllStar
— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2020
WATCH #StateFarmSaturday on @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/jLtuRx0wSl
The 3-Point Contest ended in thrilling fashion, coming down to the final shot.
Sacramento’s Buddy Hield and 2018 3-Point Contest champion Devin Booker went at it in the final round. Hield was trailing 26-19 with just his money ball rack remaining. Each make on the money ball rack would count as two points.
Hield made his first three of the rack, bringing him within one point of Booker. He missed the fourth, bringing the contest down to Hield’s last money ball.
The last shot of the night found the bottom of the net, ultimately putting Hield over the top and giving him the victory.
BUDDY HIELD WINS IT ON THE LAST SHOT! #MtnDew3pt pic.twitter.com/P79YaVm0JO
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 16, 2020
To wrap up the night, four of the NBA’s best dunkers showed what they could do.
Dwight Howard, who won the contest in 2008, rocked his Superman Cape that he wore in his contest winning dunk twelve years ago.
Milwaukee’s Pat Connaughton wore an outfit in reference to the movie “White Men Can’t Jump”. Connaughton brought out Brewers star Chrisina Yelich and dunked over him, then dunked over teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Howard and Connaughton wound up missing the cut. Derrick Jones Jr. and Aaron Gordon advanced to the finals and put on a show that did not disappoint.
The two went back-and-forth trading explosive dunks and getting perfect scores, hyping up the filled United Center crowd in the process.
Aaron Gordon and Derrick Jones Jr. put on a SHOW last night! ? #ATTSlamDunk pic.twitter.com/iODTMgXCL1
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 16, 2020
Jones won the contest by one point in extra rounds, and closing the book on an exciting NBA All-Star Saturday Night.
All-Star Weekend wraps up tonight with the NBA All-Star game. Tipoff is at 7:00 p.m. CST.