San Francisco (AFP) – Mac McClung won an unprecedented third consecutive NBA Slam Dunk title with four perfect scores and Miami’s Tyler Herro won the 3-Point Contest at the NBA All-Star Saturday night festivities. McClung leaped over a car and three people to deliver dunks that received perfect 50-point judges’ scores in the first round and final to become the first dunker to win three years in a row and match Nate Robinson as the only three-time Slam Dunk winners.
“Truly, stuff like this doesn’t happen without sitting on the shoulders of a lot of people. I had a lot of help,” McClung said. “People were opening gyms to fit a car in. People were letting me use their car. I’m just really grateful right now.” Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard missed out on his bid for a three-peat in the 3-point contest, going out in the first round, but McClung, a 26-year-old US guard for the Orlando Magic’s G-League development club, managed the first dunk treble since the event began in 1984.
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“I loved hoops first but it’s funny how God works,” McClung said. “He just led me to the love of dunking and I wouldn’t have guessed in a million years I would be here right now.” McClung said he might not seek a fourth consecutive crown next year. “This might be it for me but we’ll see,” McClung said. “If they want me back bad enough I’ll think about it.”
In the first round, McClung had a car backed under the basket and had the ball held up by a player through an open sunroof, then leaped over the car, grabbed the ball between his legs, and delivered a reverse slam dunk as the crowd roared. He leaped over a standing man holding up the ball, then turned and slam dunked on his second shot to reach the final against San Antonio’s Stephon Castle. In the final, Castle ran from behind the hoop, caught a ball going through the basket, then put it between his legs and slammed it in for 49.6 points.
McClung followed by setting up one ball being held lightly on the rim by a man on a ladder and another held by a spinning man standing on the court. McClung leaped high, tapped in the rim ball with his right hand, and slammed in the other with his left. Castle then passed the ball behind his back and slammed it in with his left hand for a perfect 50, leaving McClung needing another magical dunk for the three-peat. McClung leaped over a tall man, tapped the ball on the front of the rim, and then slammed it home for another 50-point dunk and the title.
Herro edged Golden State’s Buddy Hield 24-23 in the finals to capture the 3-point shootout, becoming the fifth Miami player to win the title, the first since James Jones in 2011. Hield, the 2020 winner, went last and the 32-year-old Bahamian guard missed his first seven shots but made a furious fightback, sinking 4-of-5 off his final rack of balls in the left corner but settled for second.
“I got lucky,” Herro said. “I thought Buddy was going to run off the last five there. It was a great competition. It’s a great feeling I got the win. I just tried to rely on the work I had done before this. Just happy I got the win.” Hield sank 19-of-27 3-point attempts for 31 points in the opening round to reach the final while Herro qualified last on 19 points, one more than Lillard.
– Cavs win Skills test – The All-Star Skills Challenge, which involves shooting and passing drills with two-man teams, went to the Cleveland Cavaliers duo of Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley in 60 seconds with Golden State’s Draymond Green and Moses Moody second. Mobley had been part of a Cavaliers win in the event in 2022.
“He had already gotten a win so the pressure was on me,” Mitchell said. “I told him I wouldn’t let him down.” Team Spurs, with French All-Star Victor Wembanyama and guard Chris Paul, was disqualified for not making valid shot attempts in a bid to complete the obstacle course faster.
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