Los Angeles, USA, February 14 (AP) - Denver's Voshon Lenard denied Sacramento's Peja Stojakovic a third consecutive victory in the NBA All-Star 3-point shooting contest Saturday night.
Lenard edged Stojakovic 18-16 in the final
round.
The Denver Nugget guard hit all five
red, white and blue money balls (worth two
points) in the one-minute final. Stojakovic
needed to hit the last money ball to force a
tie, but it bounced off the rim as the clock
expired.
Stojakovic could have tied Larry Bird (1986-88) and Craig Hodges
(1990-92) as a three-time winner. Last year, Stojakovic won his second
title over Wesley Person of Memphis in overtime after a clock
malfunction during the final round.
Lenard has been one of the league's top long-range shooters over his
nine-year pro career, but it was his first appearance in the 3-point
contest.
Philadelphia forward Kyle Korver also made the three-man finals. He
scored 15 points after hitting all five shots from the left corner. He
missed all five attempts at another of the five shooting stations.
Stojakovic led after the first round with 21 points, including hitting 4-of-5
from the top of the key. He hit the final money ball, kept his arms
extended, then made the crowd laugh by cocking his head to the left as
if to say, "Take that!"
Korver was second with 19 points, making all five from the left corner and
5-of-6 from the right corner. Lenard was third with 18 points.
Rashard Lewis of Seattle, Houston's Cuttino Mobley and Detroit's
Chauncey Billups didn't advance out of the first round. Lewis had 16
points; Mobley had 13 points; and Billups managed just 12 points after
numerous balls bounced off the rim.
Lenard earned $25,000. Stojakovic received $15,000.
Players had a minute to shoot as many balls as they could from five
spots around the 3-point line. The four orange balls at each station were
worth one point.
