Superstar Stephen Curry is the best shooter in the NBA. But on All-Star Saturday Night in Toronto, he wasn’t even the best shooter on his own team. 
In a spectacular final, Curry was dethroned as champion of the Three-Point Shootout by Klay Thompson, his fellow All-Star and backcourt mate with the defending champion Golden State Warriors.  
The youngsters of the Minnesota Timberwolves captured the other contests as Zach LaVine soared above Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon to defend his title in a highly competitive Slam Dunk Contest and rookie center Karl-Anthony Towns was the surprise winner of the Skills Challenge.  
But despite sub-zero temperatures outside the Air Canada Centre, Curry and Thompson - known as the “Splash Brothers” - heated up very quickly.  
“We love to shoot against each other,” said Thompson, who was beaten by Curry in last year’s final. “I’ve never been on a team with someone who shoots it better than me, so it’s a privilege to work with him every day. He makes me that much better.”
The reigning MVP, Curry is on a record pace with 245 three-pointers while Thompson is a distant second with 161. But the gap between them appears to have narrowed.  
Thompson went first in the opening round and put up 22 points. Curry went last and needed to make his last two shots to squeeze into the final round with 21.  
They were joined by Phoenix Suns 19-year-old rookie Devin Booker, a late addition who notched 20 points, before winning a tiebreaker with Houston Rockets All-Star guard James Harden and Los Angeles Clippers guard JJ Redick.  
Booker went first in the final round and put up a 16. Next was Curry, who made his first eight shots and his last six to score a 23, putting pressure on his teammate.  
But Thompson responded. He drained eight straight shots early in his round, lost his rhythm, then caught fire again as he sank his last seven shots for a 27, unseating Curry as champion.  
“It was like deja vu last year,” Thompson said. “I got nervous when he hit his first eight, and I didn’t think he was going to miss. But it was exciting. ... Back-to-back years for Splash Brothers. It’s pretty cool.”  
LaVine was an easy winner of last year’s Slam Dunk Contest as a rookie. This time, he was pushed to the limit by Gordon, a second-year forward who relied on power and creativity to counter LaVine’s long-distance leaping and athleticism.  
Gordon began the final round by leaping and grabbing the ball from the Magic’s mascot - appropriately named “Stuff” - who was spinning on a hoverboard. He cuffed the ball and slammed it for a perfect score of 50 from the five-judge panel of George Gervin, Dikembe Mutombo, Tracy McGrady, Shaquille O’Neal and Magic Johnson.  
LaVine countered with 360 cuff windmill slam of a bounce lob for a perfect score.  
Gordon was perfect again after jumping over the mascot, grabbing the ball from him and putting it through his legs before dunking. LaVine took off from the foul line and rocked the ball before hammering it home for a 50, forcing sudden death.  
After each had another perfect score, Gordon received a 47 for a driving dunk from the baseline where he put the ball over his head, rocked it downward and then up again. Sensing an opening, LaVine did another flying dunk from the foul line, this time putting it through his legs for his fourth straight perfect score and the win.  
“We did some crazy stuff, man. This is ridiculous,” LaVine said.  “I’ve never even tried half of them. I know he hasn’t tried some of them.”  
The night began with the Skills Challenge, which featured big men for the first time in its 14-year history. Towns, the first pick in the 2015 draft, bested Boston Celtics All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas, the last pick of the 2011 draft.  
“This is bigger than me,” the 7-foot Towns said. “This is for all the bigs out there, with the game changing the way it is, to show that bigs can stand up with guards, skill-wise.”
The final was heated, with Towns and Thomas racing through the obstacles and rushing three-pointers before Towns drilled one and was mobbed by the other big men.  
There was a light moment afterward when actor and comedian Kevin Hart challenged Golden State Warriors All-Star forward Draymond Green to a three-point shooting contest - and actually tied Green by making eight shots.

Silver eyes All-Star Game in Europe but not soon

NBA commissioner Adam Silver likes the idea of playing a future NBA All-Star Game in Europe, but emphasized such a move was at least five years away.


NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks during a press conference before NBA All-Star Saturday Night at Air Canada Centre in Toronto. (Getty Images/AFP)

On the eve of the 65th NBA All-Star Game in Toronto, the first to be staged beyond US borders, Silver said the extra distance to Asia compared to Europe would have him looking across the Atlantic Ocean for an overseas host rather than the Pacific.
“It’s something we would love to do one day,” Silver said. “It’s not going to happen in the next two, three, four years but it’s something that down the road could be really exciting for the NBA.
“We’re always talking about it. It’s logistically more difficult than it seems.”
A week-long break for the All-Star Game would have to be stretched for an overseas event so players could recover from the extra travel and time zone issues.
“Players will need additional time to readjust their sleep patterns and get reacclimated when they come back to the States,” Stern said. “If we leave the country for All-Star, it puts pressure on the rest of the schedule.”
Silver dashed hopes China or Japan would play host before areas such as Britain or Germany.
“I think getting to Asia during an All-Star break would be that much more difficult than getting to Europe,” Silver said. “Absolutely due to the additional number of miles we would have to travel to get to Asia. That would be the only reason.”
The NBA played some regular-season games in Japan as recently as 2003 and staged six games since 2011 in London, most recently last month. Two months ago, Mexico City hosted its third NBA regular-season game.
“Mexico City is a market we’re particularly focused on,” Silver said. “Mexico City is a market in the short term we’ll be looking to do more in.”
Retired Chinese NBA star Yao Ming and retiring Los Angeles Lakers star guard Kobe Bryant were both cited by Silver for their off-court contributions to the NBA’s global growth.
“He has punched way above his weight in the impact he has had on the global expansion of the NBA,” Silver said, citing Bryant’s blogs to fans in China and social media outreach. “Kobe has been at the center of that.”
Yao, an eight-time All-Star forced to retire in 2011 after severe foot injuries, was at the All-Star Game for youth clinics and coached handicapped children in a game where victories were measured in smiles.
“He is truly a global basketball icon,” Silver said. “His career was cut short. He didn’t achieve everything he wanted on the court, but over a long life he’s going to have as great an impact on the game as anyone who ever played.”
Stars align for salary cap?
Rich new television deals will send team salary caps soaring next season, a move that could lead to superstar players clustering on certain clubs once free agency starts in July to better compete for a title.
“Whether that will happen this summer is unclear to me,” Silver said. “We would prefer our All-Stars be distributed around the league but we will see what happens. There will be unintended consequences from all this extra cap room. I just don’t know what those unintended consequences will be.”
Silver said he expects a memo next week will be sent to discourage players from jumping on rivals for fouls to save time on the clock at the end of games.
He also said the league is strongly considering a rule change regarding players deliberately fouling poor free throw shooters after such instances jumped 5.5 percent so far this season compared to last season. No change would come before next season.
“I’m beginning to feel a change needs to be made,” Silver said. “It’s early days. We’re just beginning to formulate what an alternative would look like.”