Pacers make NBA All-Star 3-point contest 2023 finals

Two Indiana Pacers made the NBA 3-point shooting contest finals, but Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield couldn't bring home the trophy.

Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers scored 26 points in the final round to earn the title, edging Hield's 25. Haliburton scored 17. Lillard, who played collegiately at Weber State in Ogden, Utah, was a fan favorite in Salt Lake City.

Hield won the contest in 2020, when he was with the Sacramento Kings.

In the first round, Haliburton scored 31 of 40 possible points, prompting a $300,000 donation from event sponsor Starry to the NBA Foundation. Hield scored 23.

Other participants: Tyler Herro, Heat; Kevin Huerter, Kings; Lauri Markkanen, Jazz; Julius Randle, Knicks; Jayson Tatum, Celtics.

Reggie Miller – who provided courtside analysis Saturday night for TNT – participated in the contest five times (1989, '90, '93, '95, '98), and Danny Granger (2009) and Paul George (2013) once each. No Pacers have won the event.

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How the 2023 NBA All-Star 3-point contest works

There were some twists to Saturday night's contest: Instead of each of the five racks containing four "regular" balls worth 1 point and one "money" ball that counts for 2 points, one rack included all money balls, providing the potential for higher scores. The shooter can place that particular rack at any of the spots around the court.

Also, there were two "Starry" balls (the new soft drink Starry is sponsoring the event) available for 3 points, but those shots were taken from farther than the other shots.

Each round was 70 seconds instead of 60.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 3-point contest 2023: Indiana Pacers Buddy Hield, Tyrese Haliburton