The Houston Rockets’ Eric Gordon is the NBA’s new Three Point Contest winner, beating out Kyrie Irving in an overtime period with a score of 21. Gordon had 17 points through the first three racks and coasted to the win in the final two, after Irving had notched only 19.
NBA 3-point Contest 2017: Eric Gordon beats Kyrie Irving in overtime showdown
Gordon fittingly wins as Houston shatters three-point records this year.
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Reigning champion Klay Thompson shocked everyone by falling in the first round, missing the third finalist, Kemba Walker, by a single point. Gordon and Irving both topped Walker in the second round, but they tied at 20 points apiece.
Irving had hit seven of his last nine in the second round, but he lost steam in the final round. As he went to the bench, he was telling the other contestants he was getting tired during the final couple racks.
Other contestants didn’t fair nearly as well. Wesley Matthews went 0-of-10 from the corners, dooming him with a score of 11, while C.J. McCollum and Kyle Lowry both struggled on their moneyball rack — quickly ending their chances. Nick Young had an average showing.
Gordon’s win makes him the 10th different Three Point Contest champion in the past 10 years. It could have been Irving’s second win, after taking the title in 2013, but his chances fell flat.
It’s fitting that a Rocket won, given that Houston is destroying league three-point records this season by a huge volume. They’ve attempted at least 47 three-pointers in eight games already this season, something that has only happened six other times in NBA history. (Three of them are this year.)
Notably, Stephen Curry did not participate in this year’s contest.
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