The NBA 3-Point Contest always lives up to expectations, and this year’s competition was no different. For the second year in a row, the winner was determined by the final shot on the last shelf, while Stephen Curry trained the chance to win the event for the second time in his career.
The Golden State Warriors star scored 28 points in the final round after breaking the record for most points won in a single round by adding 31 points in the first round of the event. His victory makes him part of an elite company, becoming only the seventh player in league history to win multiple 3-point contests and the only active player to win twice.
It looked like Mike Conley could take the trophy after adding 27 points in the final round, but in typical Curry style, there was no stopping him when he started to warm up. He flexed his clutch gene on the final tray, which made a difference in his victory. Jayson Tatum finished in third place, after cooling down in the last round and finishing with just 17 points. Tatum had the second highest score in the first round (25), but could not find his touch in the next round.
For the second consecutive year, the league used the “Mountain Dew Zone”, which incorporated two green balls worth three points each and were placed as far away from the rim as possible. Curry made both strokes at Mountain Dew, which were incredibly important in his journey to overcome Conley’s strong performance in the final round.