Tobias Harris started the Three-Point Contest in grand fashion, knocking down 18 threes in the first round, advancing the Clippers forward to the championship round Saturday night at Staples Center.
But once he arrived in the final, Harris could not overcome the hot shooting of Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, who won the contest with a record-setting round of 28 points.
Golden State guard Klay Thompson, the local product who attended Santa Margarita Catholic High and won the event in 2016, came in second place with 25 points. Harris, the only big man in the contest, came in third with 17 points.
“It was awesome,” Harris said of his debut. “The crowd was feeling it once I got a couple going. I wish I would have won. But it was just a fun experience to be a part of. I thought I surprised a bunch of people. Hey, I gave it my all.”
Booker made 20 of 25 three-pointers in the final to establish a record for points in a round, one more than Stephen Curry had in the 2015 final round and Thompson had in 2016.
“My preparation was none,” said Booker, 21. “My rookie year I stayed in the gym extra, shot off the rack a lot more. This time I got here, practiced right before I went out there and ended up coming out with the win.”
In the first round, Harris scored plus-10 points with the bonus shot, better known as the “money ball.”
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Chris Rock sits courtside at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Actors Chadwick Boseman, center, and Michael B. Jordan, left, sit courtside at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Chance the Rapper bites into a piece of pizza courtside at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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N.E.R.D perform with team mascots on the court at halftime of the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Fergie sings the National Anthem at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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LeBron James laughs as he waits to receive his MVP trophy after leading Team LeBron to a 148-145 win over Team Stephen at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Comedian Tracy Morgan eats a hot dog courtside at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Kevin Hart is center stage during a pregame show at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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LeBron James captains Team LeBron against Team Stephen (Curry) at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Team Stephen center Karl Anthony-Towns pulls down a rebound over Team LeBron center Andre Drummond during second half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Stephen Curry struggles to dribble past the defense of Victor Oladipo during second half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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DeMar DeRozan of Team Stephen gets by Kevin Durant of Team LeBron during second half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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DeMar DeRozan leads Joel Embiid to the court after the starting lineup for Team Stephen is announed at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Team Stephen defender Draymond Green blocks the shot of Team LeBron center Al Horford during second half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Stephen Curry stays warm on the sideline during a break in the action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Jerry West chats with Bill Russel and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, left, courtside at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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LeBron James knocks Joel Embiid to the floor after losing control of the ball during first half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Russell Westbrook challenges Team Stephen defender DeMar DeRozan during first half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Joel Embiid signals after hitting a three-pointer for Team Stephen in the first half at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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DeMar DeRozan is fouled by Paul George during the last minute of play at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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LeBron James is awarded the MVP trophy after leading Team LeBron to a 148-145 win over Team Stephen at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Stephen Curry is trapped by Team LeBron defenders as he tries to attempt a last second shot at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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LeBron James, right, and Kevin Durant celebrate a close win over Team Stephen Curry at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Russell Westbrook reacts after a kicked ball call prevented a fast break for Team LeBron at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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LeBron James yells out after hitting a three-pointer late in the second half at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Russell Westrbrook fouls Giannis Antetokounmpo as LeBron James looks on during first half action in the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Team LeBron captain LeBron James shoots over Draymond Green to tie the score late in the game at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo slams the ball home for two points over Team LeBron player Paul George during second half action at the NBA All Star game at Staples Center.
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Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, sporting a Darrell Griffith jersey, jumps over three people, including comedian Kevin Hart, during the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday night at Staples Center.
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Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. flies to the basket during the Slam Dunk Contest.
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Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oldaipo puts on a “Black Panther” mask given to him by the star of the blockbuster movie, Chadwick Bosman, during the Slam Dunk Contest.
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Pacers guard Victor Oladipo wears a “Black Panther” mask while participating in the Slam Dunk contest.
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Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. wears his father’s Phoenix Suns uniform during the Slam Dunk Contest.
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Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell winds up as he elevates during the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday night at Staples Center.
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Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. throws down a windmill dunk after taking a pass from his father, Larry Nance Sr., who won the first Slam Dunk contest in 1984.
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Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell is congratulated by Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. after winning the Slam Dunk Contest.
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Suns guard’ Devin Booker lines up a shot during the Three-Point Shooting Contest on Saturday night at Staples Center.
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Spencer Dinwiddie poses with the Skills Challenge Trophy after winning the competition on Saturday night at Staples Center.
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Lou Williams competed in the Skills Challenge on Saturday night at Staples Center. He would lose in the first round to eventual champion Spencer Dinwiddie.
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Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic of Team World celebrates after receiving the Rising Stars Challenge MVP Trophy from Chris Webber on Friday night at Staples Center.
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Buddy Hield of Team World is defended by Jaylen Brown of Team USA during the Rising Stars Challenge.
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Team World’s Bogdan Bogdanovic made seven three-pointers to finish with 26 points in the Rising Stars game.
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Dennis Smith Jr., of Team USA elevates for a dunk during the Rising Stars game.
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Lauri Markkanen of Team World finishes off a dunk during the Rising Stars game at Staples Center.
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Team World’s Dillon Brooks is set to throw down a dunk during the Rising Stars game on Friday.
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Team USA forward Kyle Kuzma attempts a reverse layup against Domantas Sabonis of Team World during the Rising Stars game.
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Team World forward Ben Simmons sends a pass ahead to a teammate during the Rising Stars game on Friday night at Staples Center.
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Quavo, center, accepts the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game MVP Trophy on Friday evening.
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Michael B. Jordan and Jason Williams greet each other during the Celebrity Game at Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday.
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Nick Cannon and Justin Bieber watch the Celebrity Game from Team Lakers bench on Friday.
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Actor Jamie Foxx jokes around before the start of the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday.
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Rachel DeMita of Team Clippers attempts a shot against Stefanie Dolson of Team Lakers during the 2018 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at Los Angeles Convention Center.
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Team Clippers’ Quavo leads a fast break against Team Lakers’ Justin Bieber during the 2018 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday at Los Angeles Convention Center.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images) But in the championship round, Harris had just plus-four points with the bonus shots.
That was no match for Booker.
“When I hit the money ball rack, I couldn’t really get control,” Harris said. “That basketball is different from the other ones, so I missed a couple. Then at the end rack, I wished the money ball would have went in at the end. It wasn’t fatigue or anything. It was just where the placement was at that time. I needed to make more money balls shots to give myself a chance.”
Harris is 27th in three-point shooting this season, making 40.2% of his shots for the Clippers and Detroit Pistons, who traded him to L.A. on Jan. 29. Though Harris has played just six games with the Clippers, Staples Center is now his home court.
“That was the awesome thing about it was that you could just hear the crowd when I was shooting,” Harris said. “It’s an honor to be a person who reps the team and be a part of it. I look forward to bringing more threes to the games that we play.”
THREE-POINT CONTEST RESULTS
First Round
(Top 3 Advance)
Devin Booker, Phoenix, 19
Klay Thompson, Golden State, 19
Tobias Harris, Clippers, 18
Wayne Ellington, Miami, 17
Bradley Beal, Washington, 15
Eric Gordon, Houston, 12
Kyle Lowry, Toronto, 11
Paul George, Oklahoma City, 9
Final
Devin Booker, Phoenix, 28
Klay Thompson, Golden State, 25
Tobias Harris, Clippers, 17
