Luke Kennard, a former Franklin High School standout who plays for the Los Angeles Clippers and leads the NBA in 3-point percentage, was one of three finalists in his first-ever 3-point contest on Saturday night in Cleveland.
The Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns scored 29 in the finals to defeat Kennard (26) and Trae Young (26).
Kennard scored 28 in the contest's first round to advance to the finals. Play-by-play broadcaster Brian Anderson introduced Kennard as an Ohio native from "Middleton."
From @NBA via Twitter:
Kennard is averaging 11.8 points per game while shooting a league-best 44.8 percent from 3-point range (minimum 300 attempts) this season.
Kennard, 25, was a first-time participant in the 3-point contest during 2022 All-Star Saturday Night festivities at Cleveland's Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
Kennard warmed up for the 3-point contest Thursday night by making 8-of-9 from 3-point range and scoring 25 in 23 minutes off the bench in the Clippers' 142-111 win against the Houston Rockets. He made six of his eight 3-pointers during the game's second quarter.
Kennard, a two-time Ohio Mr. Basketball (in 2014 and 2015), had his No. 10 jersey retired earlier this month at Franklin.
Kennard attended Super Bowl 56 to root on the Bengals in person.
A first-round pick out of Duke in 2017, Kennard is one of seven players from local high schools, the Cincinnati Bearcats or Xavier Musketeers on NBA rosters.
Earlier in the month, Kennard helped the Clippers rally from a 66-36 halftime deficit, scoring 80 second-half points in a 116-115 win. Kennard had 25 points off the bench and scored seven points in the final nine seconds, including a go-ahead, four-point play with 1.9 seconds left.
In March 2021, Kennard scored 20 points in 18 minutes off the bench to help the Clippers rally past the Atlanta Hawks.
Kennard agreed in Dec. 2020 to a four-year contract extension reportedly worth $64 million.
Kennard visited Franklin's basketball practice in Nov. 2020, days after he was traded from the Detroit Pistons to the Clippers.
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