Brooklyn guard Spencer Dinwiddie outdueled Chicago's Lauri Markkanen to rule the Skills Challenge during All-Star Saturday in Los Angeles (Sunday morning in Manila).
Dinwiddie sealed the win by making a chest pass in his first attempt, while Markkanen had to play catch up after botching his first try.
Dinwiddie's triumph marks the first time since 2015 that a guard had won the event. Big men – Karl Anthony Towns and Kristaps Porzingis – have won the past two editions of the contest.
The Brooklyn guard advanced to the final round in come-from-behind fashion. He trailed Sacramento's Buddy Hield in the first round, but knocked down a triple in his first try to advance to the semifinal. It was virtually the same situation in the semis, when he lagged behind Denver's Jamal Murray but calmly stepped into a three-pointer to pull off the upset.
Meanwhile, Markkanen eliminated Detroit's Andre Dummond and Philadelphia's Joel Embiid to advance to the final.
Other competitors included Boston's Al Horford and Los Angeles' Lou Williams.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
