Indiana Pacers guards Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield set to participate in NBA three-point contest
Indiana Pacers guards Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield will participate in the NBA three-point contest during NBA All-Star weekend.
The event, which is sponsored by Starry and will take place on Saturday night, features eight contestants and two rounds. The first round is among all eight participants, and the championship round contains the top-three scorers from the first round.
The other six competitors are Tyler Herro from the Miami Heat, Kevin Huerter from the Sacramento Kings, Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers, Lauri Markkanen from the Utah Jazz, Julius Randle from the New York Knicks, and Jayson Tatum from the Boston Celtics.
"I just want to watch the three-point contest. I want to see [Buddy] and Ty in the finals. That's my short-term dream," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said on Wednesday.
Hield won the event in 2020, besting Devin Booker and Davis Bertans in the final round. He finished with one more point than Booker to take home the trophy, which he said is with his mom in the Bahamas. "Hopefully I can get another one to keep at my house," he said earlier this week.
His prior experience in the competition could help him on Saturday. "Just mentally staying locked in. That's all you need, trust your shot," he said. He noted that the Pacers effectively do a three-point contest at the end of every practice in the form of their shooting drills, which requires a similar number of three-point attempts. If a Pacer makes 20 shots in the drill, they get to ring a bell in the Pacers practice facility.
"It should be fun," Hield said of participating in the event with Haliburton. Haliburton is also participating in the NBA All-Star game on Sunday night, and he was in the Rising Stars challenge last season.
"We're well represented out there. It's an exciting time to be an Indiana Pacers fan," Haliburton said of All-Star weekend. Gabe York, Andrew Nembhard, Trevelin Queen, and Bennedict Mathurin are also representing the Pacers organization at All-Star weekend.
The Pacers are the only team with multiple players in the three-point contest. NBA All-Star weekend events have already begun, and the exhibitions begin tonight. The Pacers will return home to practice early next week.
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