money Walker Kessler, Jazz win Skills Challenge on All-Star Saturday night
Walker Kessler and Team Jazz on Saturday walked away as the champions of the Skills Challenge after defeating the Antetokounmpos and Rooks in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Team Jazz, which also featured Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton, came out of the gate a bit flat after losing in the first round and relay portion of the competition. They regrouped and took the passing and shooting portions of the event to collect the 300 points needed to win.
The trio of players had the benefit of having their home crowd cheer them on throughout the competition. They easily received the loudest ovation of all of the players introduced and were ecstatic to give their fans the victory.
Team Jazz win the team shooting round to win #KiaSkills!#StateFarmSaturday on TNT pic.twitter.com/SBDltATtwi
— #NBAAllStar (@NBAAllStar) February 19, 2023
The rookie team, which consisted of Paolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey and Jabari Smith Jr., took the lead early after posting a one-minute, 14-second time in the relay round. The speed of Ivey paid off on the final relay, which was a full-court sprint and layup.
The Antetokounmpos were without Giannis in the event after the two-time MVP suffered a wrist injury on Thursday with Milwaukee. He was replaced by Bucks teammate Jrue Holiday, but the addition of the All-Star was not enough: The group failed to win in any of the rounds.
The Skills Challenge tipped off the festivities on Saturday night and continued a busy weekend as the league celebrated its stars with the annual showcase.
