Andre Jackson Jr. has support for the dunk contest too
As you likely know, this is NBA All-Star Weekend, and while festivities got underway in San Francisco yesterday with the Celebrity Game and Rising Stars competition, the highest-profile events this evening. On tap at the Chase Center, this evening is All-Star Saturday Night, beginning with the Skills Challenge (yawn) and followed up by two competitions featuring two different Milwaukee Bucks. First, we’ll have Damian Lillard in the Three-Point Contest, followed by Andre Jackson Jr. in the Dunk Contest.
Lillard is going for his third straight victory in the Three-Point Contest, becoming just the second Buck to ever win it—Ray Allen was the first, of course. Last year, Dame became the first repeat winner since Jason Kapono, but if he comes out on top again, he’ll be the third shooter to ever threepeat and the first since former Buck Craig Hodges in 1992 (though Hodges was a Bull when he won his contests). The other threepeat-er is none other than Larry Bird.
Naturally, fans around the nation think he’ll do it again, per SB Nation Reacts:
Not only do fans think Dame will capture another title in the shootout, FanDuel Sportsbook also lists him as the favorite at +280. Buddy Hield and Norman Powell are the next closest in the eight-man field at +450.
Also trying to win his third straight event at All-Star weekend is Magic two-way guard Mac McClung (he of only five career NBA games!) in the Dunk Contest. That would be the first-ever threepeat in the competition, and McClung would join 5’9” legend Nate Robinson as the only players to win thrice. Second-year Bucks wing Andre Jackson Jr. will try and thwart McClung: FanDuel has him at +550, just ahead of Stephon Castle and Matas Buzelis, but all significantly behind the reigning champion (-190). Fans, however, are more optimistic in AJax:
Best of luck to the shooting and dunking Bucks this evening. Jack Trehearne and I will be streaming the competitions on our Playback channel if you’d like to join us!