Zach LaVine was the hometown favorite to take home this year’s 3-Point contest title. Chicago fans in attendance were hoping to see LaVine become the first Chicago Bull to take home the honors since Craig Hodges (90-92). Unfortunately for him, his 23 points were not enough to advance past the first round.
For Buddy Hield though, he was a man on a mission.
Hield took home the 2020 Mountain Dew 3-Point title, besting 2018 champion Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns. The Sacramento Kings star had an impressive showing scoring 27 points both in the first and final round to take home his first 3-Point contest crown. Booker set the tone earlier for the contest with an impressive showing himself. He scored 27 points in the first round, nailing three of the Mountain Dew money balls in the first half. Hield would soon follow him, tying his 27 points to advance to the final round with him, and Davis Bertans of the Washington Wizards, who scored 26.
Booker’s 26 points in the final round seemed to pave the way for him to take home his second 3-Point crown, but Hield had other plans. The former Oklahoma Sonner would hit four of his last five shots on the Moneyball rack, with the last shot giving him the one-point edge to best Booker. Hield didn’t hold back when speaking on his nervousness to go against Booker.
“I was talking to Book, and Book said, he’s been in it before, and he was talking about it and said he already got one, and that gave me the motivation to get one,” said Hield.
“He said coming every time brings more pressure. As a shooter, you want to win one. Every shooter wants to win one, and I feel like that. Joe [Harris] won it last year. [Davis] Bertans is having a great year shooting the ball, Devin, Trae [Young], Zach [LaVine]. Top three-point guys in the league. You want to come out and show it. But it’s fun.”
Hield is currently averaging 20.4 points per game while shooting 38.5% this season from the 3-point range.
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