Getting redemption the only place possible for the moment, Paul Pierce of the Celtics atoned for a bad showing his last time in the competition by winning the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest on Saturday at American Airlines Center.
Pierce nailed 14 the first try and, in the scoring system with a “money ball” worth double, 17 points. That was worth a tie for second with Chauncey Billups of the Nuggets, behind Stephen Curry of the Warriors. Danilo Gallinari of the Knicks, Channing Frye of the Suns and defending champion Daequan Cook of the Heat all had 15 points and were eliminated.
Pierce led off the final round and had 20 points, setting a strong pace. Billups went next and had 14. Curry took his turn and made four of five attempts off the first rack and three of five off the second while converting both money-ball opportunities. Curry was nearly half way to matching Pierce with 60 percent of his shots still to come.
But when he made only one from among the third set, straight-away from behind the 3-point arc, Curry fell off the necessary pace. Even with getting the money ball one more time and making three shots off the final baseline rack, he still finished with 17 points and in second place.
