NBA All-Star Weekend Recap
We take you to Houston, where the 2013 NBA All-Star Weekend warmed up its fan base for the All-Star game on Sunday. Saturday, however, featured half-court shooting, skills, 3-pointer, and slam-dunk contests.
Shooting Stars Challenge
Winner: Team Bosh –Eastern Conference
James Harden led Team Harden with a half-court shot swishing through the net after just 37.9 seconds have elapsed. Team Westbrook, the second team representing the Western Conference, beat the previous mark by posting 29.5 seconds total in hitting their first half-court shot. That was by Maya Moore, who plays for the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA.
From the Eastern Conference, Team Bosh relied on retired Atlanta Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins to make their first half-court shot after 50.0 seconds have elapsed. Team Lopez didn’t make the final cut after banging in a shot in 67 seconds.
The one team that has the lowest time from each conference went to the finals.
Wilkins came through for Team Bosh by hitting from half-court in 89 seconds. Team Westbrook had several shots coming off the rim, and ultimately ran out of time.
Click here for a link to the video.
Taco Bell Skills Challenge
Winner: Damian Lillard- Western Conference
A leading candidate for Rookie of the Year honors, Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard was impressive in the skills set.
On his first run with the initial lay up, then dribbling through obstacles acting as static defenders, making a direct pass, then a bounce pass, making a shot near the 3-point line, making another direct pass and a bounce pass, then finishing with a layup, Lillard posted 28.8 seconds in total. On his second run in the finals, he posted 29.8 seconds. But that was good enough to beat runner-up Jrue Holiday.
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Three-Point Contest
Winner: Kyrie Irving- Eastern Conference
The 2012 Rookie of the Year stole the night away with the deep ball. Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving scored 23 impressive points. At one point, Irving made 10 shots in a row behind the arc.
Former Cavalier LeBron James, sporting a pair of sunglasses, was rooting on the sideline. King James was impressed.
Click here for the highlights.
Slam-Dunk Contest
Winner: Terrence Ross- Eastern Conference
Toronto Raptors’ very own Terrence Ross made noise at the rim, and then some.
Ross first started with a one-handed-360 slam-dunk, followed with a sensational twisting two-hand dunk. His third shot was bounced on the lower right side of the board then caught and dunked with a 360-spin. Saving the best trick-shot for last, Ross jumped over a young man, switched hand in mid-jump when directly above his assistant, and made an acrobatic one-hand slam dunk.
Click here for the video.
