CURRY NAGPAKITANG-GILAS SA NBA ALL-STAR

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Ibinaon ni Stephen Curry ang kanyang huling apat na shot mula sa kanang sulok upang talunin si Sabrina Ionescu 29-26 sa isang 3-point NBA-Women’s National Basketball Association Challenge sa NBA All-Star Saturday festivities.

Itinakda ni Ionescu ang iskor upang matalo, na tumutugma sa pinakamahusay na mga numero ng sinumang manlalaro sa NBA 3-Point Contest, para lamang kay Curry na huli na mag-rally para sa tagumpay, pagkatapos ay yakapin si Ionescu habang kapwa nagdiwang ng matagumpay na pagsisikap.

“I knew I had to get hot,” sabi ni Curry.

Ang kauna-unahang shootout ng mga kasarian ay isang groundbreaking showdown sa pagitan ng mga elite guard -- Golden State’s Curry, ang all-time 3-point basket leader ng NBA, at WNBA single-season 3-point record holder Ionescu ng New York Liberty.

“A night like tonight shows a lot of young girls and young boys that if you can shoot, you can shoot,” sabi ni Ionescu. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or a boy. I think it just matters the heart that you have and wanting to be the best that you can be.”

Parehong bumaril mula sa NBA three-point range, si Curry na may bola sa NBA at Ionescu na may bolang WNBA.

“This couldn’t have gone any better in the sense of us two taking the challenge in front of this stage. To deliver like that, like she said, the ball was unbelievable to watch,” sabi ni Curry. “I don’t know if anybody can fill these shoes but this might need to be something we do more often.”

Hinamon ni Ionescu si Curry matapos niyang gumawa ng 37 sa posibleng 40 puntos sa WNBA 3-Point Contest noong nakaraang taon, ang pinakamahusay na iskor sa anumang solong round ng WNBA o NBA 3-point competition.

“That was amazing, just to be able to have this be the first of its kind event and come out here and put on a show, understanding what this means,” saad ni Ionescu. “Excited to change the narrative and be able to do it alongside the greatest to ever do it.”

Inaasahan ni Curry na ang matchup ay magbibigay inspirasyon sa mga batang talento na pahalagahan ang mahusay na pagbaril.

“For her to have a presence on this stage is going to do a lot to inspire the next generation of young boys and girls that want to compete and see themselves in either of us,” sabi ni Curry.

Sa NBA 3-Point Contest, nasungkit ni Damian Lillard ng Milwaukee ang kanyang ikalawang sunod na korona, pinabagsak ang kanyang huling shot sa finals para umiskor ng 26 puntos at tinalo sina Trae Young ng Atlanta at Karl-Anthony Towns ng Minnesota, na may tig-24.

“It was only right that I do it with some drama,” sabi ni Lillard. “I didn’t know what I had. I just heard the crowd go, ‘Ooooh.’ I knew I had to make that last shot to get the win.”

Si Lillard ang unang back-to-back 3-point champion mula kay Jason Kapono noong 2007-2008.