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Bucks star Damian Lillard comes up clutch, defends 3-Point Contest title

Dame becomes the first Buck to win the shootout since Ray Allen in 2001.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
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Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard is the 3-Point Contest King once again, securing his back-to-back crown in this year's competition in the All-Star Saturday Night.

Dame Time is Win Time

Damian scored 26 to force a four-way tie in the opening round. He then knocked out Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton in the tiebreaker shootout in which he, Trae Young, and Karl-Anthony Towns ultimately advanced to the final round.

In the last round, both Towns (22) and Young (24) initially poured treys, but Lillard came out with a bang and a clutch final bucket to conclude the title contest with the highest score (26). The Bucks All-Star missed four of his first five shots but responded by draining seven of his last eight triples. Dame also sank 4-of-5 money balls, which emerged as a huge catalyst for his triumph.

Fellow Milwaukee sharpshooter Malik Beasley poured 20 points in the first round but came short of entering the championship round.

Going for more history

With the win, Lillard served as the first back-to-back 3-Point Contest Champion since Jason Kapono, who completed the feat in 2007-08. He also became the first 3-Point Shootout Champion representing Milwaukee since Ray Allen (2001).

As he successfully defended his title this year in Indianapolis, Dame vies to make history further. According to TNT’s Chris Haynes, the Bucks sensation expressed openness to participating in next year's All-Star Weekend and going for a three-peat finish in front of his hometown Bay Area crowd.

Only Larry Bird managed to secure a three-peat championship run in the entire history of the NBA’s 3-Point Contest. As such, Dame already has his eyes on the prize of next year's contest to join the basketball legend in the glorious club.

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.