Report: Defending champ Patrick Beverley pulls out of skills competition

The skills competition at All-Star Weekend will crown a new champion this year, as 2015 winner Patrick Beverley has pulled out of the event in Toronto, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.

The Houston Rockets point guard tweaked his left ankle in Wednesday's loss to the Portland Trail Blazers and wants to use the All-Star break to rest up for the second half. With the Rockets slumping badly and their coach referring to them as a "broken team" after Wednesday's game, it's probably for the best.

Beverley is averaging 8.9 points, three rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 steals, with career-best shooting clips from the field (42 percent) and 3-point range (40.3). The Rockets have been 4.7 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor.