Dave McMenaminESPN Staff Writer9:49 PM ET1 Minute Read
SALT LAKE CITY — The hometown team had the sharpest skills Saturday night.
The Utah Jazz group of Jordan Clarkson, Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton beat Team Antetokounmpo and Team Rookies to win the All-Star Skills Challenge.
“I’m doing it for Utah, man,” Clarkson said during the on-court trophy ceremony that followed. “We appreciate everyone showing up. You already know.
The competition consisted of three rounds: relay race, passing game and shooting. The relay round included an obstacle course with moving LED screens lit by neon lights. Passing required players to move from point to point while throwing fodder into moving targets.
In the final round of shooting, players bounced off each other and passed to a teammate who popped up on the court for 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 point shots.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was nursing a sore wrist, was an unofficial coach for his team, with Jrue Holiday stepping in to play with his G League brothers Thanasis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Alex Antetokounmpo of Wisconsin Herd.
The rookie team consisted of the Orlando Magic’s Paolo Banchero, the Houston Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. and the Detroit Pistons’ Jaden Ivey.
“It feels good, especially in front of the home team,” Sexton said as jazz coach Will Hardy sat on the sidelines for the event. “We got incredible energy from the crowd; we appreciate you all.”
It was the third time players from Utah had won the event since its inception in 2003, along with Trey Burke (2014) and Deron Williams (2008).