Skills And Dunking On Display In Brooklyn
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The actual NBA All-Star game is Sunday night at Madison Square Garden. But for many NBA fans, the real action is on Saturday night with various skills competitions and the ever-popular slam-dunk competition across town at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The competition started with four mixed three-on-three teams led by Miami's Chris Bosh, Golden State's Stephen Curry, New Orelans' Anthony Davis and Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook. Each team had a "legend'' old-timer and a WNBA player as well.
Bosh's team won.
Then eight stars participated in the Skills challenge. Players include Philadelphia's Michael Carter-Williams, Toronto's Kyle Lowry, Atlanta's Jeff Teague and Houston's Patrick Beverley among the eight stars. Beverley was the winner.
Then Curry, Houston's James Harden, Cleveland's Kyrie Irving, San Antonio's Marco Belinelli, Atlanta's Kyle Korver, Portland's Wes Matthews, the Clippers; J.J. Redick and Golden State's Klay Thompson heaved it up in the three-point long-distance shootout. Curry came out on top.
Finally come the slam-dunkers. Their roster includes Minnesota's Zach LaVine, Orlando's Victor Oladipo, and hometown favorite Mason Plumlee of the Brooklyn Nets.
It's official, Thrilled to be a #Dunker in the #SpriteSlam Dunk contest @NBAAllStar weekend! http://t.co/XklE0CSbxH
— Mason Plumlee (@masonplumlee) January 28, 2015
In his second NBA season, the 6-foot-11 Plumlee is averaging 10.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 22.7 minutes per game.
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