Feb 17, 2024, 11:46 PM ET
Mac McClung became the fifth player in NBA history to win consecutive dunk contests and Bucks guard Damian Lillard is a back-to-back three-point shooting champion.
INDIANAPOLIS — Mac McClung became the fifth player in NBA history to win dunk contests consecutive when the Stars game Saturday night with a contest-clinching 50-point dunk over Shaquille O’Neal.
Mac McClung, who became a viral sensation in high school for his high-flying dunks, blew up his high school jersey when he won the contest a year ago. This time, he pulled out a much larger jersey and handed it to O’Neal, who put it on and held the ball over his head for the fourth and final dunk. Mac McClung.
Mac McClung flew over O’Neal and finished with a backhand for the only 50-point dunk of the night to defeat Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics in the final.
Mac McClung won the NBA All-Star Weekend dunk contest for the second year in a row. Photo: Getty
Jaylen Brown He became the first player to compete in the dunk contest in his All-Star season since Victor Oladipo did so in 2018. The last player to win the dunk contest in his All-Star season was John Wall in 2014.
Mac McClung He joined Zach LaVine (2015-16), Nate Robinson (2009-10), Jason Richardson (2002-03) and Michael Jordan (1987-88) as the only consecutive dunk contest champions.
Jaylen Brown reached the finals by calling out dunk contest judge Dominique Wilkins with his first slam and then sealed the deal by jumping over YouTuber and social media sensation Kai Cenat with an assist from teammate Jayson Tatum in the launch.
With his first dunk in the final, Mac McClung he jumped over two people, one sitting on the other’s shoulders, to earn a score of 48.8 from the panel, just above Brown’s 48.6. Brown donned a Brewster Academy (New Hampshire) jersey in honor of Terrance Clarke, a Boston native who played one season at Kentucky and died in a car accident just months before the 2021 NBA draft.
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For his final dunk, Brown donned a sequined glove on his left hand, a nod to some who have joked that he doesn’t turn left when driving. Brown jumped over Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell and finished with a left-handed windmill shot for 49.2.
Needing at least a 49.1 to win, Mac’s dunk McClung on O’Neal sealed the deal.
It was O’Neal’s second appearance tonight in the contest, as he also participated in the first dunk of the night. Miami Heat rookie Jamie Jaquez Jr. jumped on O’Neal, but needed the help of his hand on O’Neal’s shoulder to complete the jam.
After that, New York Knicks forward Jacob Toppin called on his older brother and 2022 NBA Dunk Contest winner Obi for his first dunk. Like Jáquez, he decided to jump over his special guest and hit a reverse slam.
Jáquez (94.2) and Toppin (95.0) did not qualify for the final.
Damian Lillard defends the triples title with his last shot
Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard was a three-time NBA three-point shooting champion, winning this year’s competition on the last shot attempt.
After reaching the final round through a tiebreaker, Damian Lillard He came into last place tied on 24 points with Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young and needing just one shot to get the win.
Damian Lillard He missed the first four shots from the left corner before scoring the last one for the win.
“When I got to the last rack, I didn’t know my exact score, but when I missed a couple, I heard the crowd ooh and aah,” Lillard said. “Once they kept doing it over and over again, I knew I was still alive because I knew they would have stopped if it was over for me. The next two balls, I missed again, and then I caught the next one and I knew I needed that to win.”
Damian Lillard He became the eighth player in NBA history to win multiple 3-point contests and the first to do so consecutively since Jason Kapono won in 2007 and 2008. Lillard also won it last year with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Like the skills challenge that preceded it, the 3-point contest required a tiebreaker after four of the eight shooters in the first round finished with 26 points: Lillard, Young, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns , and Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton.
Since only three players were able to advance to the final round, a 30-second tiebreaker was held to see which three would advance. Haliburton finished with only 12 points in that event, so the others advanced.