NBA Three-Point Contest 2018 live blog: Highlights, reaction, video, and updates

We’re live blogging the NBA Three-Point Contest. Let’s go!

9:07 p.m. — Klay Thompson with 19! That knocks off Wayne Ellington. And man, he was cutting it extremely close on the final one, really taking his time. I like that, and once again I like that he put his moneyball rack last. Take advantage of the corner!

9:05 p.m. — This just dawned on me but WHY ISN’T JOE INGLES IN THE THREE-POINT CONTEST

9:04 p.m. — Yikes, Bradley Beal. Just 1-of-10 in the first two racks. And he hit four of his five on the moneyball rack, but it still wasn’t enough. He’ll miss the second round, too.

9:03 p.m. — Kyle Lowry ain’t got it, either. He finishes with just 11, and this is his third straight year participating and failing to reach the second round. But shoutout Jason Kapono, the only Raptor who has actually won a Three-Point Contest, and a personally favorite of mine. (How can you not be a Jason Kapono fan.)

8:57 p.m. — My pick, Booker, rattles off for 19. He’s leading at the commercial break. I really dig that he picked his moneyball rack to go last, which is where he shoots the best and also takes advantage of a shorter three-point line. On the other hand, I get why NBA players are hesitant to do that — they don’t want to put it first, where they might still be warming up, and they don’t want it last, where they might be rushing.

Here’s more on moneyball rack strategy.

8:55 p.m. — Paul George ain’t got it tonight. This one was waaaay off.

8:53 p.m. — Wayne Ellington starts slow but finishes really strong. He has 17, one shy of Harris.

8:50 p.m. — Tobias Harris with an 18!?! He could have had more, too, but missed his entire final rack with two airballs. He’s shooting jump shots which could wear out his legs, but 18 is a number that should get him into the next round.

8:45 p.m. — I actually like this new camera, which is supposed to show where within the rim that the shots are going in. Could you imagine this used at a college level at some point, for prospect evaluation? Knowing that a shooter who has good mechanics only hits 30 percent on triples but rims out 25 percent more might encourage teams to think that they can turn him into an NBA-level marksman.

8:44 p.m. — Give me Devin Booker for the win, because that’s always a good bet.

Before the event

The NBA is saturated with some of the best three-point shooters in the world. Those players can bury shots from beyond the arc with ease. Now, the best of the best will compete in the NBA Three-Point Contest during NBA All-Star Weekend. TNT (live stream) will broadcast the competition at 8 p.m ET on Saturday.

Last year, Eric Gordon put on a shooting clinic and won the contest, and he will be back to defend his championship on Saturday. But he'll have some stiff competition to get through, such as Klay Thompson, who won the Three-Point Contest in 2016.

Kyle Lowry, Devin Booker, Wayne Ellington, Bradley Beal, Paul George, and Tobias Harris will also challenge Gordon for his crown. The goal for each player in this contest is simple: Make as many three-point shots as you can in one minute. This contest will test how well each player can shoot from different areas of the arc.

And even though Gordon is the reigning champion, he may not walk out of the Staples Center with that title. Each player in this competition has the skills to cruise to victory.