In the 2017 NBA Skills Challenge, the players most heavily favored (Isaiah Thomas, John Wall, Devin Booker) did not make the finals. New York Knicks big man Kristaps Porzingis took down Utah Jazz small forward Gordon Hayward in the final round. Watch each matchup below.
First Round
Gordon Hayward vs. John Wall
In a bit of an upset, Gordon Hayward eliminated Washington Wizards John Wall in the first matchup after Wall missed his first three-point attempt:
Devin Booker vs. Isaiah Thomas
Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas handily won his matchup against Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker:
DeMarcus Cousins vs. Kristaps Porzingis
It came down to a shootout between Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins and Kristaps Porzingis, and Porzingis eventually came out on top:
Nikola Jokic vs. Anthony Davis
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, one of the NBA’s best playmakers, shockingly took three tries to complete his chest pass, but knocked down his first three-point try to take down New Orleans Pelicans big Anthony Davis in an upset:
Second Round
Gordon Hayward vs. Isaiah Thomas
In another upset, Gordon Hayward defeats Isaiah Thomas! Both players struggled to connect on their three-point shot, with Gordon Hayward making it on his sixth try:
Kristaps Porzingis vs. Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic missed his first pass again, which slowed him down. He once again made his first three-pointer, but unfortunately, it came just after Porzingis knocked down his second attempt:
Championship Round
Gordon Hayward vs. Kristaps Porzingis
And the Unicorn wins it! Kristaps Porzingis drilled the three-pointer on his first try to win the 2017 NBA Skills Challenge. Congrats, Kristaps!
