2019 NBA All-Star Saturday: Cheer for three new champions

World
Europe

In the second day of the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend, Hamidou Diallo, Joe Harris and Jayson Tatum won the first championship of respectively the Slam Dunk Contest, the Three-Point Contest and the Skills Challenge for their teams (the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Brooklyn Nets and the Boston Celtics).

Slam Dunk Contest demands good rivalry

Hamidou Diallo #6 jumps over Shaquille O'Neal in the 2019 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest, February 16. /VCG Photo

Dennis Smith Jr. (C) jumps over Dwyane Wade in the 2019 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest, February 16. /VCG Photo

Miles Bridges drives to the rim in the 2019 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest, February 16. /VCG Photo.

John Collins jumps over an airplane model in the 2019 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest, February 16. /VCG Photo

By getting in total 88 points in the final, Diallo defeated Dennis Smith Jr. who failed to complete his move in the first round and tried five times before completing his second round. Actually, the best moment of the contest happened before the final when Diallo flew over Shaquille O'Neal with Superman logo on his chest and conveyed a salute to Vince Carter by doing the "honey dip."

Back in 2016 in Canada, Zach Lavine and Aaron Gordon saved the dunking contest because they had each other to force the best out of themselves. That's what happened between Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins in 1988. Carter was an exception in 2000 only because he's Vince Carter.

By contrast, today's contest lacked competition. John Collins' two moves were simply mediocre, hardly threatening anyone. Both Miles Bridges and Smith Jr. had unfinished moves that limited their points. Diallo was good, but he could do way better in the final if there's enough pressure from his rival.

Perhaps that's why Lavine spoke to Gordon about a rematch on Instagram and Gordon responded "All facts! It's in your city next year" after the event.

This could be the best 3-pt contest in years

Joe Harris shoots in the 2019 NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest, February 16. /VCG Photo

Stephen Curry shoots in the 2019 NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest, February 16. /VCG Photo

Buddy Hield shoots in the 2019 NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest, February 16. /VCG Photo

Danny Green shoots in the 2019 NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest, February 16. /VCG Photo

Devin Booker shoots in the 2019 NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest , February 16. /VCG Photo

Dirk Nowitzki shoots in the 2019 NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest, February 16. /VCG Photo

Damian Lillard shoots in the 2019 NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest, February 16. /VCG Photo

Seth Curry shoots in the 2019 NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest, February 16. /VCG Photo

Kemba Walker shoots in the 2019 NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest, February 16. /VCG Photo

Khris Middleton shoots in the 2019 NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest, February 16. /VCG Photo

Harris shot down 26 points in the final of the Three-Point Contest, better than the 24 points by Stephen Curry and the 19 points by Buddy Hield. It's a pity that Harris did not break the 28-point record of Devin Booker in 2018, but sinking all 10 money balls at his last spot in the two rounds of competition was a big success.

What made Harris' victory more valuable was the performances of his competitors. Curry started the final by securing 12 balls in a row, once making people wonder if he would drop all of them. Booker and Danny Green did not make the final even though they both got 23 points. Compared with them, Dirk Nowitzki and Damian Lillard being eliminated with 17 points sounded even less regrettable.

Since "small ball" already took over the league, there could be more great 3-pt shooters than dunkers in the coming years in the NBA.

Leading side is not necessarily winning side

Jayson Tatum handles the ball in the 2019 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge, February 16. /VCG Photo

Trae Young handles the ball in the 2019 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge, February 16. /VCG Photo

Luka Doncic handles the ball in the 2019 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge, February 16. /VCG Photo

Nikola Jokic shoots a three-pointer in the 2019 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge, February 16. /VCG Photo

Kyle Kuzma handles the ball in the 2019 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge, February 16. /VCG Photo

De'Aaron Fox handles the ball in the 2019 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge, February 16. /VCG Photo

Mike Conley handles the ball in the 2019 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge, February 16. /VCG Photo

Nikola Vucevic handles the ball in the 2019 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge, February 16. /VCG Photo

Tatum's victory in the Skills Challenge was quite dramatic because he made a logo shot to beat Trae Young in the final. Moreover, Tatum continued a strange pattern of the contest: all leading players lost. From the first matchup between Nikola Jokic and Nikola Vucevic, whoever led in dribbling, passing and layup always met his failure around the 3-point line because the trailing player took the win by sinking the three-pointer first.