Lillard wins 3rd NBA 3-point contest despite injury

Without playing a single minute this season because of injury, Damian Lillard tied the record for 3-point contest wins in the NBA with a third title, while Keshad Johnson triumphed in another lackluster dunk contest.

The traditional day of contests served as an appetizer for the All-Star Game to be held Sunday at the Intuit Dome, the home court of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Saturday's big star was a player no one expected in this 75th edition of the All-Star Game, Damian Lillard.

The Portland Trail Blazers point guard, who has been sidelined since April, had not given up on extending his record in the 3-point contest after back-to-back wins in 2023 and 2024.

A few days before the event, Lillard surprised everyone by signing up for the quest for his third crown despite the fact that he is still rehabbing from a ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Intuit Dome crowd, which did not fill all 18,000 seats, enthusiastically supported Lillard's feat against seven reputed opponents, including 2018 winner, Devin Booker.

In his first appearance, Lillard scored 27 points to reach the finals alongside rookie Kon Knueppel of the Hornets and Devin Booker of the Suns, who scored 27 and 30, respectively.

Donovan Mitchell with 24 points, Norman Powell with 23, Jamal Murray with 18, Tyrese Maxey with 17 and Bobby Portis Jr. with 15 were eliminated in that round.

In the final, Lillard racked up 29 points to beat Booker, who had 27, and Knueppel, who finished with 17.

Bird and Hodges record

Lillard, a nine-time All-Star, joined the group of three-time champions that previously consisted of Larry Bird, who won from 1986 to 1988, and Craig Hodges, who won from 1990 to 1992.

The point guard made it known he was ready to compete when the group was closed, but at the last minute a spot opened up.

Keshad Johnson, king of dunks

The dunk contest, Saturday's other highlight, did little to regain the appeal it once had.

Also missing from the lineup this year was Matthew "Mac" McClung, the player who saved the past three editions with back-to-back victories.

The participants were four almost unknown players and debutants in the contest, who failed to impress a jury that included some of the best dunkers in history, such as Dominique Wilkins and Julius Erving.

The only perfect-scoring dunk came from San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant on his first attempt of the finals against Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson.

Previously eliminated were Jaxson Hayes of the Lakers and rookie Jase Richardson of the Magic, the son of Jason Richardson, who won the contest in 2002 and 2003.

The spectacular dunk by Carter Bryant, who let the ball bounce to catch it in the air and smash it after passing it under his legs, put the trophy in his hand.

The rookie's second dunk was just a half-vote, but he missed the first three attempts and, in the midst of his nervousness, he made a discreet execution in the fourth that was insufficient to overcome Johnson.