The recent highlight of the All-Star weekend returns once more tonight. The Starry 3-point contest is arguably the only event left on All-Star Saturday that does not deter the biggest names in the league from competing, unlike the Slam Dunk Contest. The competition involves players shooting from 5 different racks, one of which they designate as their money ball rack, worth double the points. There are also 2 Starry Ball shots fro m deep 3-point range that are worth 3 points. Each contestant gets 70 seconds to get all of their shots up. Everybody takes part in the first round, with the top 3 scorers from there moving onto the final round where they go again. With the format down, lets dive into some of the favorites below.
Damian Lillard +420
Damian Lillard returns to the 3-point contest to defend the crown that he was able to win last year. He did so by scoring 26 in both rounds, but might struggle to recreate that form tonight. He is not having a great year shooting the deep ball this season, with his 3-point percentage dropping from 37.1% last year to 34.1% this time around. This will be his 4th appearance in this competition too, win 1 win to date, so it is not one that he has dominated in the past. Lillard is also shooting at just a 33.8% clip this season on 3-point catch and shoot 3-pointers. That could really hinder him tonight. It is hard to see him repeat tonight.
Tyrese Haliburton +440
Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton has been an incredibly consistent shooting the ball from deep since he has come into the league. This season, like every one before, he is once again shooting at a 40% clip or above. That rate goes up to 44.9% on catch and shoot 3-pointers. We have already seen how effective that can be in this competition, with the guard scoring an incredible 31 points in the opening round of this competition last year. In the final he came in cold, taking a couple of racks to get going. With experience in this competition under his belt now, look for him to be better prepared this time around. His shooting form looks like it takes minimum effort too, with Haliburton barely jumping on his shots. That should allow for consistency throughout both rounds tonight.