Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard became the third three-time winner of the 3-Point Contest, while Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson won the Slam Dunk contest Saturday during NBA All-Star Saturday at the Intuit Dome.
Lillard, who has not played this season because of a torn Achilles suffered in last season’s playoffs, shot last in the final round and finished with 29 points in the final round, making 21 of 27 shots, including one of his two “From the Logo” shots, worth three points apiece.
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker shot second and finished second with 27 points. He had 23 points entering his money ball rack, where each made shot is worth two points and made his first two shots, but missed his last three. Booker won the event in 2018.
Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel finished third with a score of 17 in the final round. He shot first.
The top three scorers among the eight first-round competitors advanced to the final round.
Booker had the highest score in first round, making nine of his first 10 shots and finishing with 30. Knueppel and Lillard each advanced with a score of 27. Donovan Mitchell also made nine of his first 10 shots, but was the last man eliminated, finishing with 24.
Norman Powell was fifth with 23 points, followed by Tyrese Maxey (17), Jamal Murray (17) and Bobby Portis (15).
Lillard had previously won the event in 2023 and 2024.
Larry Bird and Craig Hodges are the other three-time winners of the event, which has been held annually since 1986, except for 1999 when the All-Star Game was canceled due to the 1998-99 NBA lockout.
Four players made their 3-Point Contest debuts:
Knueppel, Maxey, Murray and Portis Jr. were making their debuts in the event. Knueppel was trying to become the first rookie to win the event.
In the two-round contest, players attempt to score as many points as possible from multiple 3-point locations within 70 seconds.
Johnson defeated San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant, a fellow 6-foot-6-inch forward, in the final.
Bryant received a perfect score of his 50 on this first dunk from a panel of four judges and a fan vote, while Johnson had a score of 49.6. Johnson had a score of 47.8 for his second dunk for a two-round total of 97.4. Bryant’s score for this second dunk was 43 for a two-dunk total of 93.
Bryant had the top scored in the first round, 94.8, including the round’s highest single dunk score, 49.2 on his second dunk. Johnson was second with a score of 92.8
Orlando Magic guard Jase Richardson and Lakers center Jaxson Hayes failed to advance to the final round.
Hayes finished third with a score of 91.8 and Richardson fourth with 88.8.
Hayes was the lone Laker competing Saturday. The only Laker to win the Slam Dunk contest was the then-18-year-old Kobe Bryant in 1997.
Richardson is a son of Jason Richardson, the 2002 and 2003 Slam Dunk champion.
Johnson earned $105,000 for the victory. Bryant received $55,000 and Hayes and Richards $20,000 each.
Team Knicks of New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, center-forward Karl-Anthony Towns and retired Knicks guard Allan Houston won the Shooting Stars competition, topping Team Cameron, 47-38, in the final round of the timed shooting competition of teams consisting of two active players and one retired player.
Team Knicks also had the top score in the first round, 31, with Team Cameron second with 24.
Team Harper was third with 18 and Team All-Star fourth with 16.
Team Cameron consisted of three players who played at Duke, whose home court is Cameron Indoor Stadium, Knueppel, Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson and Corey Maggette, a small forward and shooting guard with six NBA teams between 1999 and 2013, including the Clippers.
Team Harper consisted of Ron Harper Sr., a guard who was a member of the Chicago Bulls’ final three championship teams with Michael Jordan and the Lakers’ first two with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, and his sons Dylan Harper, a guard with the Spurs, and Ron Harper Jr., a small forward-shooting guard with the Boston Celtics.
Team All-Star consisted of two 2026 All-Star Game selections, Scottie Barnes, a Toronto Raptors forward, and Chet Holmgren, an Oklahoma City Thunder center-forward and Richard Hamilton, a three-time All-Star Game selection in a 14-season NBA career as a shooting guard and small forward