Damian Lillard Wins 2026 NBA Three-Point Contest in Exciting Final Round Finish
All of the best sharpshooters in the NBA were out in full force in Los Angeles tonight, as the NBA kicked off All-Star Saturday night festivities with the beloved three-point contest, which saw an exciting final round finish between both Devin Booker and Damian Lillard
First Round Sees a Mix of Great Performances and Duds
When looking at the three-point contest field that included Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets), Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers), Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets), Norman Powell (Miami Heat), Bobby Portis Jr. (Milwaukee Bucks), Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers), Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), and Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers), NBA fans were in for quite the show tonight and the competitors mostly delivered a great show.
The first round got off to a hot start as Hornets rookie sharpshooter Knueppel set the tone for the round by scoring 27 points in his three-point contest debut. The first round would then see some more hot shooting, as both Devin Booker and Damian Lillard would finish with 30 points and 27 points, respectively, to end the round. Booker, Lillard, and Knueppel would finish with the three highest scores to advance to the final round of the contest.
Lillard Edges Booker for Three-Point Contest Trophy
Despite not playing in a game this season due to an Achilles injury that he suffered in last season’s playoffs, there seemed to be no rust in Lillard’s game tonight, as he torched the Nets in both rounds of the contest. Lillard scored 29 points in his second time up to almost put the game out of reach for the other final two competitors. While Knueppel would fall well short of the 29-point mark, Booker would make things interesting at the end.
Booker would head into his final NBA money rack with a chance to either take the lead or tie Lillard’s score and send the championship round to a final shoot-off. Unfortunately, Booker was unable to find the range on the final rack, as he made only two of his five money ball shots, with his final shot to tie with Lillard just rimming out in an exciting final finish. Booker was looking to secure his second three-point contest win, as he previously won the contest back in 2018.
What’s Next
For Lillard, he etched his name alongside some pretty special shooters as he took home his third career three-point contest title. The only other two players in NBA history to win three were Larry Bird, who won three-straight three-point contests from 1986 to 1989, and Craig Hodges, who also three-peated the contest from 1990 to 1992. Lillard had previously won the contest twice in a row in 2023 and 2024.
