Marco Belinelli wins 3-Point Contest in overtime
We have a new 3-Point Champion!
Defending champ Kyrie Irving tied for the fourth best opening round score of the field of eight and failed to move on to the finals, leaving the door open for a new king.
Here are the first round results, along with where each player placed their "money ball rack" (a new quirk to the contest you can read about in the story below):
Bradley Beal - left wing, second rack (2/5) - 21
Kyrie Irving - right corner, fifth rack (2/5) - 16
Arron Afflalo - left corner, fifth rack (4/5) - 15
Joe Johnson - right wing, second rack (1/5) - 11
Marco Belinelli - right corner, fifth rack (3/5) - 19
Damian Lillard - left wing, second rack (3/5) - 18
Kevin Love - left wing, second rack (1/5) - 16
Stephen Curry - right corner, fifth rack (1/5) - 16
That sent Belinelli and Beal to the finals, hardly surprising since they have shot 44.8 percent and 43.0 percent on threes this season, respectively. Nelly, who used to walk Beal to school when Beal was young, was justifiably excited. So was Drake:
Here's how the head-to-head went down in the championship round:
Marco Belinelli - right corner, fifth rack (3/5) - 19
Bradley Beal - left wing, second rack (3/5) - 19
OH YESSIR THAT IS CORRECT WE'VE GOT OVERTIME! Beal hit his final six shots to tie Belinelli when he looked defeated, so they had to play another round to crown a champion. One shooter brought it when it mattered most:
Marco Belinelli - right corner, fifth rack (3/5) - 24
Bradley Beal - left wing, second rack (3/5) - 18
So Belinelli is now the 3-Point Contest Champion, the first European to win the award since Dirk Nowizki in 2006 and the first San Antonio Spur ever to do it.
Congratulations, Marco, you furry sharpshooter, you.
Keep up with all the NBA All-Star action here.