NBA All-Star Weekend - Full Results

Another NBA All-Star Weekend is in the books, and this was one of the most competitive series of events in recent memory. There were plenty of thrills for the fans, from the Three-Point Contest all the way to the Slam Dunk Contest. And, of course, let’s not forget about the actual All-Star Game.

Here’s a look back at how it all went down. I’ve also included the odds from Bodog, when applicable.

THREE-POINT SHOOTOUT

The Cavaliers must be doing something right, as two players drafted by the team ended up finishing first and second in the event. Of course, the eventual winner is now playing for the Raptors. That man would be none other than defending three-point champion, Jason Kapono.

When Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks (filling in for an injured Kobe Bryant) finished in third place, that left only Daniel Gibson (5/1) and Kapono (17/5). Gibson made four of the five money balls and ended up with a total score of 17. Kapono took his turn next and scored 25 points, winning the event and tying the event record set by Craig Hodges in 1986.

As an added bonus, Kapono took home $35,000 for the win, while Gibson snagged $22,500. Nowitzki also received some scratch for his troubles, picking up $15,000.

SLAM DUNK CONTEST

This year’s slam dunk contest featured a high degree of originality on the part of the contestants. A new wrinkle was also added, as the fans got to vote on the final round via text messaging.

Dwight Howard (2/1) started things off by standing on the baseline, tossing the ball off the reverse side of the backboard, catching it with both hands, then peering through the glass and dunking it home. He received perfect 10s for his effort.

Defending champ Gerald Green (13/5) countered by having a cupcake with a lit candle placed on the back of the rim. Green soared through the air, paused in mid-air to blow out the candle, and then threw down a left-handed jam.

The pair would move on to the final round, where both would show that they still had plenty of tricks up their sleeves. But while Green continued to impress (even performing a dunk without his sneakers), it was obviously Howard’s night.

He scored perfect 50s from the judges on his first two dunks in the final round, and then fans submitted their votes and made it official. Howard received 78 percent of the vote.

SKILLS CHALLENGE

Representing the Utah Jazz, Deron Williams (3/1) captured the Skills Challenge title, defeating runner-up Chris Paul (5/2) by almost six seconds in the final round.

SHOOTING STARS COMPETITION

The Shooting Stars Competition put together a current star from an NBA city, a past star from that city and a WNBA star from that city. They then played each other in 3-on-3 games. The eventual victors were the San Antonio team of Tim Duncan, David Robinson and Becky Hammon.

ALL-STAR GAME

Close throughout the first half, the West fell behind 95-79 in the third quarter. But they came roaring back to life thanks in part to Amare Stoudemire and Chris Paul. And with 6:52 left in the game, Dirk Nowitzki gave the West their first lead following a 17-2 run.

Ray Allen helped the East get their momentum back, scoring 14 of his 28 points in the last 3:14 of the game. LeBron James, meanwhile, was voted the MVP of the game after racking up 27 points, nine assist and eight rebounds. It was the second time in three years that James has captured the All-Star MVP trophy.

In the end, the Eastern All-Stars were able to hold off their spirited opponents and win the game by a score of 134-128.

For more NBA articles….

NBA All-Star Game Skills Challenge

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NBA All-Star Weekend - Full Results