Spencer Dinwiddie Wins 2018 NBA Skills Competition: Recap, Highlights, Reaction

The big-man streak at the NBA Skills Challenge is over. 

Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie defeated Chicago Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen to win the 2018 Skills Challenge on Saturday night in Los Angeles. Dinwiddie is the first guard to win the competition since big men were added in 2016. 

Karl-Anthony Towns and Kristaps Porzingis won in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

Dinwiddie Wins Skills Challenge

A Los Angeles native who starred at William Howard Taft High School, Dinwiddie put on a show for his hometown crowd. He came from behind in early-round matchups to defeat Buddy Hield and Jamal Murray before running away with the championship against Markkanen. The Bulls rookie did not even get a three-point shot off after struggling to convert the chest pass that starts the competition.

Dinwiddie is the second Nets player to win the Skills Challenge, joining Hall of Fame finalist Jason Kidd, who won the inaugural competition in 2003.

"It makes me feel great, you know, to come back home and get a win and finally put on for the guards and get a kid a scholarship—I think that's the best part of this whole thing," Dinwiddie said. "They were saying the bigs would always win and Lauri had me because he wouldn't miss his three, so I knew I had to get out to a good lead."

Markkanen defeated Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid in the big-man finals. Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond, Boston Celtics center Al Horford and Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams also participated in the competition but were eliminated in the first round.

Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell was scheduled to compete, but Hield replaced him. Mitchell moved to the Slam Dunk Contest as an injury substitution for the Orlando Magic's Aaron Gordon (hip).