If Damian Lillard participating in the NBA 3-point contest while still recovering from a torn Achilles was a surprise, what he actually did in the NBA was a shock.
The Portland Trail Blazers star, who hasn’t played an NBA game since April 27, won his third NBA 3-point contest title on Saturday, joining Larry Bird and Craig Hodges as the only three-time winners of the event. He had previously won back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024.
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Lillard defeated Devin Booker and Kon Knueppel in the championship round, with Norman Powell, Bobby Portis Jr., Jamal Murray, Donovan Mitchell and Tyrese Maxey falling short in the first round.
Lillard, going last in the eight-player field in the first round, actually appeared in trouble after three racks. He needed to catch Mitchell at 24, but had only 13 points when approaching his final 10 balls. He then made nine of those 10 shots to stun the Intuit Dome crowd.
Knueppel was the first to go in the final and posted only 17 points, far fewer than his 27 in the first round. Lillard was up next and this time, never looked vulnerable. He made at least four shots in every rack but his last one, making a statement with 30 points.
Then came Booker, who topped the first round with 30 and soon looked on his way to a victory. The 2018 3-point contest champ had 27 points and three balls left, all of them moneyballs. He needed to make two for the win — and got zero.
“I was praying on his downfall,” Lillard said after the contest.
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Basketball hasn’t been kind to Lillard in recent years, between his struggles with the Milwaukee Bucks and then the Achilles injury. He re-joined the Blazers last offseason on a three-year, $42 million deal after the Bucks waived and stretched him, with the understanding that he might not make an appearance this season.
Fortunately, even as he waits for that Achilles to reach 100%, he could still shoot. And now the Blazers have a little more reason for confidence they’ll be getting one of the NBA’s best shooters back when he’s ready.
