Klay Thompson bests Stephen Curry in NBA 3-point contest

He made his final eight shots in the championship round, the last five being “money balls” worth extra points, to take down Curry, the defending champion.

“Everybody thinks that, huh?” “And I’ve got some tough, tough competitors coming at me, especially my teammate, Klay Thompson. I’m just glad I got the last laugh”.

No one would be surprised if they did. Hopefully my brother’s another. Hopefully my brothers, and probably the rest of the world thinks Steph. “But that’s fine. I’ll play the underdog for a night”. The 27 points Thompson scored actually tied the high Curry set a year ago when he won the competition.

“I’ve never been on a team with someone that shoots it better than me, so it’s a privilege to work with him, every day he makes me that much better”.

“I like proving people wrong”, said the Timberwolves’ 7-footer.

And of course it came down to these two.

Curry followed Booker and put up his best mark of the night with a 23.

He returns to the place he called home for three years for All-Star weekend at the height of his powers, an National Basketball Association champion, the reigning MVP and the new face of the league while his Golden State Warriors blow the doors off of the competition.

Phoenix’s Devin Booker was third, with 16 points in the final round. Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry was naturally the fan favourite but failed to advance past the opening round. And having done it once before, losing to Curry in the final round previous year, he didn’t have the nerves anymore. “Obviously we’re playing for more than just 73 wins – we’re playing for a championship – but if it’s right there for us, we might as well try and take it”. I’m excited to see what he has in store for Saturday night. He was selected to the NBA All-Star team in 2015 and 2016. “It’s the three-pointer’s time now”.

“I’m so happy I prepared some extras because usually you don’t need them”, LaVine said. “I know that in the grand scheme of things, this is just a game that can be taken from me at any moment”. All-Stars Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins square off in the first round and the victor would meet All-Star Draymond Green or No. 1 overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns, who believes he can get by the bigs and then knock off one of the little guys who usually make up the event’s entire field. He later played for the Nuggets for one season.

The six-foot-five LaVine, who won as a 19-year-old rookie last year, joins Michael Jordan (1987-88), Jason Richardson (2002-03) and Nate Robinson (2009-10) as the only back-to-back dunk winners.