After bringing the Dunk Contest back to prominence one year ago with a series of electrifying dunks, Minnesota’s Zach LaVine picked up where he left off, with help from Orlando's Aaron Gordon.
And with the Verizon Slam Dunk on the line, Zach LaVine went to the free throw line. Well, almost.
With a through-the-legs dunk from just inside the charity stripes, Zach LaVine earned his fifth score of 50 on the night, making him the 2016 NBA dunk champ. The 20-year-old LaVine became the first back-to-back winner since Nate Robinson in 2009 and 2010.
Going against Magic forward Aaron Gordon in the contest finals, LaVine and Gordon got locked into a heavyweight bout where they traded incredible body blows. After the contest, LaVine said, “We should share the trophy, because [Gordon] did some stuff I've never seen before.”
To begin the final round, Gordon completed a dunk with an unbelievable degree of difficulty, snatching the ball from Orlando Magic mascot Stuff — who was spinning on a hoverboard — and throwing down a twisting dunk. This earned a 50. LaVine countered by throwing himself an alley-oop and floating through the air for a one-handed finish, earning another 50.
Gordon then again used Stuff, this time clearing the mascot with his rear end while passing the ball below for a lefty finish. That earned another 50, putting the pressure on LaVine.
LaVine responded coolly, with a windmill from just inside the free throw line, for another 50. This marked the first time in Dunk Contest history the final round saw four scores of 50.
Foot Locker Three-Point Contest
Winner: Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
For the second straight year one of the Golden State Warriors' Splash Brothers walked off the All-Star Saturday night stage as the champion of the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest.
But it wasn't defending champion and NBA three-point king Stephen Curry. This time it was teammate Klay Thompson taking home top honours in a competition that at the end looked like something the Warriors might do at the end of every practice. It marks the first time in Three-Point Contest history that different players from the same team have won it in consecutive seasons.
Klay Thompson goes off for 27 points to defeat his teammate Stephen Curry in the championship round to win the Foot Locker 3-point Contest.
Taco Bell Skills Challenge
Winner: Karl-Anthony Towns
You don't get many upsets at All-Star Weekend, but Karl-Anthony Towns winning the 2016 Taco Bell Skills Challenge was a clear underdog story.
The Rookie of the Year favourite from the Minnesota Timberwolves represented for the big men, edging out Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas by knocking down his third 3-point attempt in what was a tightly contested final round. Both players connected on their first chest pass after dribbling through an obstacle course, and they made their layups on the other end of the floor at the same time.
Though Thomas is the guard, Towns has been the better 3-point shooter this season, and he knocked down the competition-winning shot before Thomas could.
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