NBA: Karl-Anthony Towns looms large in 3-Point Contest

Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves holds the trophy after winning the 2022 NBA All-Star – MTN DEW 3-Point Contest as part of the 2022 All-Star Weekend at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on February 19, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. Jason Miller/Getty Images/AFP

Karl-Anthony Towns made big men proud when he was the winner of the NBA All-Star Weekend’s 3-Point Contest on Saturday night at Cleveland.

It was a record point total for a final round when Towns, who plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves, posted 29 points.

Towns topped Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks and Luke Kennard of the Los Angeles Clippers in the final round. Young and Kennard both had 26 points.

Towns went first among finalists and set a pace that couldn’t be topped even though he missed on his last three shots. He made four of his first five attempts in the final.

Towns went first in the finals. Young was three points shy of Towns when he missed his final shot from the right corner. In the preliminary round, Young connected on his last shot, giving him 22 points. That left Patty Mills out of the final.

Kennard, competing in his home state, racked up 28 points in the first round.

Before being reduced to the three finalists, the field consisted of CJ McCollum, Zach LaVine, Desmond Bane, Fred VanVleet and Mills.

Skills competition

Evan Mobley hit a halfcourt shot as part of the Skills Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend, giving Team Cavs the victory Saturday night at Cleveland.

Team Cavs needed one basket in the halfcourt shot phase and Mobley drained it. After Jarrett Allen missed wide left, Mobley swished the team’s second attempt, so the group didn’t even have to use the rest of its attempts.

Earlier, Darius Garland and Mobley of the hometown Cavaliers combined to give Team Cavs the early lead in the skills competition in the jump shot portion of the event.

Still, Team Rooks — comprised of rookies Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham and Josh Giddey — surged into the lead with 200 points compared with 100 points each for Team Cavs and Team Antetokounmpos.

Team Cavs made it to the final when Garland hit a 3-pointer to break the tie with Team Antetokounmpos.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had a solid beginning in the shooting category.

This was a new event that featured three three-man teams. It involved shooting, passing, a relay and, as the final, the half-court shooting drill.