Chapter 518: Three-Point Contest Champion: Stephen Curry
"G~~~"
"G~~~"
After missing two shots in a row, Kevin Durant had to pause for a second and make another adjustment.
Durant's shooting touch was really off.
After the adjustment, he only made one regular shot, scoring 9 points at the three-point line.
"It's over~"
Wade Dong, sitting on the sidelines, said with a smile, "Little Handsome is about to give up."
Of course, Durant couldn't hear Wade Dong's words; he was fully focused on his shooting. At the fourth point, the 45-degree angle, there were five special balls.
If Durant wanted to score more than 23 points, he could only afford to miss one shot at this point.
If he missed two, just as Wade Dong said, he might as well give up.
"Swoosh!!"
The first ball went in.
"Swoosh!!"
The second ball followed.
"Swoosh!!"
The third ball swished through the net.
Durant's frown gradually relaxed...
"G~~~"
The fourth ball rimmed out, and his just-relaxed brows furrowed again.
Irving's mindset gradually relaxed, making it difficult for Durant to surpass him.
"Swoosh!!"
The fifth special ball found its mark.
Durant had already scored 17 points, and there were still 13 seconds left on the shot clock. If Durant wanted to surpass Irving, he needed to make all five shots at the last point.
Durant quickly ran to the final shooting spot.
The entire audience held their breath along with Durant...
"Swoosh!!"
The first shot went in.
"Swoosh!!"
"Swoosh!!"
"Swoosh!!"
Three consecutive shots found their mark, and Durant had already scored 21 points.
The last special ball—if he made it, he would advance to the finals; if he missed... all his previous efforts would be in vain.
Wade Dong, Stephen Curry, and Thompson all stood up from their seats.
Durant released the ball...
Even before the ball reached the basket, Durant's mouth was already curled up in a smile; it felt so good, and this shot was bound to go in.
"Swoosh!!"
Sure enough, the ball swished through the net.
"Wow~~~"
Wade Dong and the other two immediately rushed to Durant and hugged him.
This scene made it seem as if Durant had already won the three-point contest.
Wade Dong joked, "I never expected that you, a player not known for your three-point shooting, would make it to the finals."
"Hey..."
Irving felt a bit depressed. The same thing had happened last year, and now it was happening again. He decided that he wouldn't participate in the three-point contest next year, no matter what.
...
The finalists were confirmed: Stephen Curry, Thompson, and Kevin Durant.
All three were Phoenix Suns players, making it an exciting event, as the All-Star three-point contest turned into an internal shooting contest for the Suns.
The host said, "I've always heard that the Suns' doorman is also a three-point specialist, and it seems to be true. "
"Where did they find a host who talks so much nonsense?"
Wade Dong was getting annoyed by the host's constant babbling.
Stephen Curry said, "He probably thinks he's funny?"
The second round of the three-point contest began, and this round would also determine the three-point contest champion. The order of shooters was Thompson, Durant, and Curry.
"Are you ready to settle for second place?"
Before shooting, Thompson even mimicked his predecessors and taunted Curry and Durant.
"Swoosh!!"
"Swoosh!!"
...
"Swoosh!!"
Thompson had a hot hand, making all five shots at the first point.
As he ran to the second point, Thompson even raised his eyebrows at Curry and Durant.
"Swoosh!!"
With the last shot going in, Thompson kept his shooting hand raised in the air, unwilling to put it down, as if declaring victory.
29 points!
This was an incredibly high score, and it was no wonder Thompson was so proud.
Wade Dong said to Durant, "Go and take down this kid's arrogance."
"Hmm..."
Durant stepped onto the court.
And then...
He scored 13 points in the second round!
"As expected, Durant's three-point shooting is unreliable; his true colors are showing..."
Wade Dong teased, "With this level of play, he still wants to take up a second-round spot."
The last shooter was Curry, who had the highest total score in the first round, and the pressure to win was immense.
The total score for the three-point contest was 35 points.
Thompson had scored 29 points, essentially locking in the first place in the three-point contest.
Curry prepared to shoot...
"Swoosh!!"
"Swoosh!!"
"Swoosh!!"
...
"Swoosh!!"
Curry made all ten shots at the first two points, scoring 12 points. He also placed the five special balls at his most familiar 45-degree angle, and Thompson's proud smile vanished...
At this moment, Curry's eyes were only on the basket.
At the arc, Curry made four out of five three-pointers, including the special ball, bringing his score to 17 points.
Thompson's face grew more and more unsightly... His showboating might backfire!
"Huff..."
At the most critical shooting point, Curry adjusted his breathing before shooting.
"Swoosh!!"
"G~~~"
"Swoosh!!"
"Swoosh!!"
"Swoosh!!"
Making four out of five shots, Curry added 8 points to his score, bringing his total to 25 points.
29 points was already a high score, and Thompson had only missed 5 shots. Out of the total 9 special balls, Thompson had made 8. But now, at the last shooting point, Curry only needed to score 4 points to tie him, and 5 points to surpass him.
And if he, Thompson, missed... he would be the one embarrassed.
Wade Dong didn't say anything; he just watched Thompson with a big smile.
"Swoosh!!"
"Swoosh!!"
"Swoosh!!"
At the second baseline three-point spot, Curry made the first three shots.
He had 28 points...
Thompson didn't even pray for Curry to miss the last two shots. If he got shown up by his teammate, he was ready to accept it.
"G~~~"
At the last shooting point, the fourth ball bounced off the rim and flew away.
There were 3 seconds left on the shot clock.
The venue fell silent.
There was no longer a possibility of a tie. The last special ball counted as two points, and if Curry made it, he would win the three-point contest; if he missed, he would lose.
"Swoosh!!"
Curry didn't disappoint the fans, and the last special ball found its mark.
30 points!
The All-Star Weekend three-point contest champion was born: Stephen Curry!
"Let's see you show off now!"
After Curry won the three-point contest, everyone's first reaction was not to congratulate him but to tease Thompson.
"29 points is already impressive..."
Thompson grumbled, "Why does Wade Dong always succeed when he shows off, but when I do it occasionally, I get shown up?"
"Are you comparing yourself to Wade Dong?"
Thompson's words earned him a bunch of disapproving looks.
However, this year's three-point contest was truly exciting. Thompson scoring 29 points in the second round and still not winning the championship was something no one could have predicted.
After Stephen Curry won the three-point contest, the host pulled him aside for an interview and asked, "How would you rate your performance tonight?"