Damian Lillard, returning from a season-long recovery from a torn Achilles tendon, secured his third NBA 3-Point Contest title Saturday night, matching the records held by Larry Bird and Craig Hodges. The 35-year-old Portland Trail Blazers guard defeated Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker 29-27 in the final round of the contest held at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
Lillard’s participation in the All-Star event required special league permission, given his absence from game play this season. “In a season where I haven’t been playing, the fact that the league allowed me to participate in an event like this, to feel some competition, to feel some pressure and get back in front of the fans, it was a really great experience,” Lillard stated, according to reports from The Fresh York Times.
The injury occurred during the 2025 playoffs while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. Following the injury, Lillard was waived by the Bucks and subsequently signed with the Trail Blazers, the team where he spent his first 11 NBA seasons. His three-year, $42 million contract with Portland includes a no-trade clause, potentially signaling an intention to finish his career with the franchise, according to ClutchPoints.
In the opening round, Lillard needed a strong finish to advance, connecting on five consecutive three-pointers from the left corner to secure his place in the final. He finished the round with 27 points, surpassing Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, who scored 24. Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel advanced with 27 points, while Booker secured his spot with a leading 30 points.
The final round saw Knueppel open with 17 points. Lillard then scored 27, setting the target for Booker. Booker, the 2018 3-Point Contest champion, missed his final three attempts, each of which would have tied or won the contest.
“I was praying on his downfall,” Lillard admitted to ClutchPoints, describing his mindset while watching Booker’s final shots. “I was praying on his downfall.”
Lillard’s victory comes despite not having played a game this season. He indicated his daily focus has been on maintaining his shooting form. “Every day I’m up early in the morning warming up and shooting the ball, off the dribble, catch-and-shoot, every style of shot you can shoot. I’m shooting them every day, hundreds of ’em,” Lillard said, as reported by The New York Times. “So I knew that this would not be an issue for me.”
Elsewhere during NBA All-Star Saturday, the Team Knicks, comprised of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and former Knicks star Allan Houston, won the Shooting Stars competition.
