WASHINGTON — It turns out All-Star Weekend will be flush with Miami Heat representation.
Sunday, guard Norman Powell secured yet another Heat slot for All-Star Weekend, when he was named as one of the eight participants in next Saturday’s 3-point contest in Los Angeles.
Sunday’s announcement came one week after Powell last Sunday was named an All-Star for the first time in his 11-season career.
The selection to the 3-point contest came while the Heat were playing the Washington Wizards on Sunday at Capital One Arena.
So for the Heat, it will be second-year center Kel’el Ware in the Rising Stars competition on Friday night, forward Keshad Johnson in the dunk contest on All-Star Saturday, Powell in the 3-point contest on All-Star Saturday, two-way player Jahmir Young in the G League All-Star Game and 3-point contest on Sunday, and then Powell in the All-Star Game.
The weekend activities bring Powell back to Intuit Dome, where he played last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, before his July trade to the Heat.
Powell also participated in last year’s 3-point contest during All-Star Weekend in San Francisco, a competition won by Heat guard Tyler Herro, who is unable to defend his title due to an ongoing rib issue. Powell failed to advance out of the event’s first round last year.
Powell becomes the 10th player to represent the Heat in the 3-point contest, seeking to become the Heat’s sixth champion.
Besides Herro last year, previous Heat winners of the competition were Glen Rice (1995), Jason Kapono (2007), Daequan Cook (2009) and James Jones (2011).
In all, Heat players previously have made 14 appearances in the 3-point contest, when counting the two appearances apiece by Jon Sundvold, Glen Rice, Daequan Cook, James Jones and Tyler Herro, and single appearances by Kapono, Mario Chalmers, Duncan Robinson and current Heat assistant coach Wayne Ellington.
Also selected to the field for the 3-point contest are Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Kon Knueppel (Charlotte Hornets), Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers), Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers), Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets), Bobby Portis Jr. (Milwaukee Bucks) and Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers), even though Lillard is sidelined for the season with an Achilles tear, not playing this season.
In the two-round contest, players attempt to score as many points as possible from multiple 3-point locations within 70 seconds. The top three scorers from the first round advance to the championship round, where the highest score determines the winner.
The 3-point contest will be the firs competition on All-Star Saturday this coming Saturday in Los Angeles, followed by the Shooting Stars contest and then the dunk contest. The Heat do not a competitor in the Shooting Stars event that features one former NBA player on each of the competing units.
The Heat begin their All-Star break after Wednesday night’s game against the Pelicans in New Orleans. They then return to action after an eight-day break with a Feb. 20 game in Atlanta against the Hawks.