NBA 3-Point Contest 2018: Highlights, Odds and Predictions for Participants
The NBA Three-Point Contest, which will be played Saturday at 8 p.m. ET at Staples Center, is one of the best events of All-Star Weekend.
And it's all due to one man: Larry Bird.
More specifically, Bird's three-peat win in Chicago in 1988 was an iconic moment that turned the contest into must-see-TV.
Without even taking off his warm-up jacket, Larry Legend tickled the twine from deep through three rounds. He hit a walk-off three to win it over Dale Ellis, holding his finger aloft in the air, signaling he knew it was going in.
And he knew who was coming in second.
From there, the event has taken off. All of the game's best shooters want to shoot their shot to take home the crown.
And whether fans will be watching it in person or on TNT, it will again prove to be a can't-miss long-distance shooting spectacle.
Participants
Player | Team | Odds, according to OddsShark
Eric Gordon | Houston Rockets | +450 (best $100 to win $450)
Klay Thompson | Golden State Warriors | +200
Bradley Beal | Washington Wizards | +850
Paul George | Oklahoma City Thunder | +650
Kyle Lowry | Toronto Raptors | +900
Devin Booker | Phoenix Suns | +575
Wayne Ellington | Miami Heat | +750
Tobias Harris | Los Angeles Clippers | +1,100
Per NBA.com, these are the official rules for the contest:
"The JBL Three-Point Contest is a two-round, timed competition. Five shooting locations are positioned around the three-point arc. Four racks contain four NBA regulation balls (each worth one point) and one multicolored "money" ball (worth two points). The fifth rack is a special 'all money ball' rack, which each participant can place at any of the five locations. Every ball on this rack is worth two points.
"The players have one minute to shoot as many of the 25 balls as they can. The three competitors with the highest scores in the first round advance to the championship round."
Prediction
Last year, Klay Thompson's plan to repeat as champion was thwarted by Eric Gordon. This time around, the Splash Brother is the favorite, per OddsShark. He's shooting 45.4 percent from three and has made 184 this season.
Paul George has made 187 threes, but his shooting percentage is 43.3. Gordon is even worse at 33.4, but he's attempted more than any other player in the league, draining 154 of 461 attempts.
Los Angeles is Thompson's hometown. He will get a run for his money from George and Gordon, but look for the Golden State Warrior to find his groove early, getting hotter as he drains ball after ball and stay on a heater from round to round until he wins it all.
All stats accurate as of February 15 and courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference. Maurice Bobb covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @ReeseReport.
