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We know Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu They are great three-point shooters. But this weekend, We have to find out who is the best.
Curry narrowly defeated Ionescu on Saturday when the two sharpshooters faced off during All-Star weekend in the first-ever NBA vs. NBA three-point matchup. WNBA to resolve a long-standing debate.
The Golden State Warriors star scored 29 points compared to the New York Liberty star who scored 26.
Ionescu said on the TNT broadcast that she was excited to “change the narrative” between NBA and WNBA players.
“That was amazing,” Ionescu said. “Just being able to make this the first of this type of event and come here and put on a show, but understanding what this means. “I’m excited to change the narrative and be able to do it alongside the best to ever do it.”
Curry, although wearing a three-point championship belt, praised the event and Ionescu.
“This couldn’t have gone better in the sense that the two of us took advantage of the opportunity in front of this stage, running with all the enthusiasm, and to do it, she set the bar, it was incredible to see,” Curry said. “So this might be something… I don’t know if anyone can fill these shoes, but it might be something we need to do more often.”
Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Stephen Curry prepares to shoot in the three-point challenge against Sabrina Ionescu.
Curry is a two-time NBA 3-point contest champion and holds the league record for most three-pointers made in his career (3,642).
However, in 2023, Ionescu set the WNBA record for most three-pointers made in a single season (128). She also set an all-time WNBA and NBA record in the three-point contest last season, recording 37 points out of a possible 40.
According to the official statement, Curry shot NBA balls from the NBA three-point line, while Ionescu used the WNBA equivalents: the line is a little closer and the ball is a little smaller.
But, confident in her abilities before the match, Ionescu said she wanted to level the playing field. “I’ll shoot from the NBA line…LET’S DO IT,” she said. wrote in Xformerly known as Twitter.
As part of the contest, Curry and Ionescu’s respective charities will receive a donation from the NBA and WNBA. The couple will also have the opportunity to raise money for the NBA Foundation, which aims to promote economic empowerment in the black community, with each regular shot valued at $1,000, each money ball worth $2,000 and a special 29-foot three-pointer. 9 inches. called “STARRY Range Ball” valued at $3,000.
“I think this is the best thing ever,” Curry he told TNT at the end of January.
“I love the confidence, I love the competition. “It is a new format in that scenario.”
Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Ionescu has become known for her three-pointers.
Meanwhile, G League player Mac McClung won his second consecutive dunk contest in the NBA, sealing his victory by leaping over Shaquille O’Neal in spectacular fashion, as the Osceola Magic guard became the fifth player in history of the league to defend its title.
McClung’s jump over the 7-foot-1 O’Neal earned a perfect score of 50 from the judges as he took a basketball from the NBA legend’s hands and dunked it into the net, despite being almost a foot shorter.
Kyle Terada/USA Today Sports/Reuters
Mac McClung dunked the ball over NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal.
The 25-year-old later said on the TNT broadcast that he was “honored” to win back-to-back titles, but criticized his performance, adding: “I wish I could have given more to the crowd.”
He received the only perfect score of the night with that spectacular dunk, while his previous efforts, including one in which he jumped over two people, had given him a good start in the competition.
He defeated Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the Miami Heat and Jacob Toppin of the New York Knicks were eliminated in the first round.
The traditional three point contest saw Malik Beasley, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard, Lauri Markkanen, Donovan Mitchell, Karl-Anthony Towns and Trae Young compete for the crown.
In the end, Lillard, the Milwaukee Bucks’ All-Star guard, successfully defended his three-point contest title, becoming the first player to win back-to-back crowns since Jason Kapono did so in 2007 and 2008.
All-Star weekend will culminate with the All-Star Game on Sunday from the Indiana Pacers’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse, as the best of the best will compete against each other.
The game has returned to the traditional Eastern Conference versus Western Conference format for this year, with many of the league’s biggest stars lining up in Indianapolis.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James captain the East and West respectively, while Joel Embiid is the biggest name to be lost after having surgery for a knee injury earlier this month.
Saturday action began with the NBA’s sample of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) when Virginia Union played Winston-Salem State.
The players’ all-around skills were on display Saturday night with the Skills Challenge, before the three-point contest showcased some of the best talent from deep and the Slam Dunk competition completed the night.
And on Sunday, the G League, the NBA’s minor league affiliate, will host its own series of events starting at 1:30 p.m. ET at G League Park at the Indian Convention Center before the jewel of the weekend, the All-Star. The game takes place at 8 pm ET.
TNT Sports (formerly known as Turner Sports and briefly as Warner Bros. Discovery Sports) is the division of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), which owns CNN.
CNN’s Ben Church contributed to this report.