Karl-Anthony Towns set to participate in All-Star Weekend 3-Point Contest
Karl-Anthony Towns has a busy Cleveland weekend coming up on his schedule.
The former Kentucky Wildcat turned three-time NBA All-Star will participate in the 2022 MTN DEW 3-Point Contest at this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend. Towns, who was named to the event for the first time in his career, is one of eight sharpshooters who will battle for bragging rights as the league’s top outside shooter.
During the 2021-22 season, Towns has shot 40.9 percent from beyond the arc on 5.3 attempts per outing in 47 games played. Over his seven-year career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, KAT has hit 39.6 percent of his looks from deep. Standing at a hair under 7-feet tall, he is already considered the greatest 3-point shooting big man of all time.
Towns will join fellow 3-Point Contest first-timers Desmond Bane (Grizzlies), Luke Kennard (Clippers), Patty Mills (Nets), and Fred VanVleet (Raptors). The other three participants are no strangers to the event with CJ McCollum (Pelicans) and Zach LaVine (Bulls) suiting up for their third shootout and Trae Young (Hawks) gearing up for his second.
After he’s done winning the 3-Point Contest, Towns will take a brief break before playing in his third NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night. It’ll be his first appearance since 2018-19 though, and a well-deserved recognition for the impressive seasons he’s put together on a winning Minnesota squad.
KAT’s teammate during his one year at Kentucky, Devin Booker now of the Phoenix Suns, will join him on Sunday in the All-Star Game. Booker has actually been in the 3-Point Contest four times, winning it once in 2018.
Below is an explanation of the 3-Point Contest’s rules, courtesy of the NBA.
The MTN DEW 3-Point Contest will again feature THE DEW ZONE,™ two deep shot locations positioned equidistant between the traditional racks at the top of the 3-point arc and the adjacent “wing” rack. Each of the two ball pedestals in THE DEW ZONE is located 6 feet behind the 3-point line and holds one special green ball, the “3-Ball.” Shots made with the green ball are worth three points.
In addition to THE DEW ZONE, the MTN DEW 3-Point Contest will have five main shooting locations: four racks containing four official NBA game balls (each worth one point) and one multicolored “money” ball (worth two points), and one special rack with all money balls. Each participant can place the rack with all money balls at any of the five main shooting locations. Every ball on this rack is worth two points.
Each competitor will have 70 seconds (1:10) to shoot as many as the 27 balls as he can, with a maximum possible score of 40 points in a round. The three competitors with the highest scores in the first round will advance to the championship round. The player with the highest score in the championship round will win the MTN DEW 3-Point Contest. Click here for a complete explanation of the rules and a diagram showing the shooting locations.
NBA
The 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend will take place from Feb. 18-20 with the 3-Point Contest scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 19 at 8:00 p.m. EST on TNT.
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