Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen was eliminated in the first round of the Starry Three-Point Contest after scoring 25 points.
The Finnish sharpshooter needed 26 points to advance but came up one ball short of the final round at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
After a slow start, Markkanen caught fire on his last two racks, knocking down nine straight threes to threaten the leaders.
“I think I shot pretty well,” Markkanen said. “I liked my strategy where my money ball was at.”
Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks, Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers, Trae Young of the Houston Rockets, and Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves all scored 26 points in the opening round to advance.
