Spencer Dinwiddie wins 2018 Taco Bell Skills Challenge
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Noah Shatzer

Spencer Dinwiddie Wins 2018 Taco Bell Skills Challenge

As the lone Brooklyn Nets participant of the 2018 NBA All-Star festivities Spencer Dinwiddie made Nets Nation proud. 

Spencer Dinwiddie,  came away with a victory in the 2018 Taco Bell Skills challenge, taking down Bulls rookie Lauri Markkanen. Despite big men winning the competition the past two years, Dinwiddie pulled through and broke the streak for the guards.

Opening Round:

Dinwiddie defeated the Sacramento Kings’ Buddy Hield in the opening round. Hield managed to open up a small lead throughout the course, but Dinwiddie caught up at the end. Hield missed his first two three-point attempts and Dinwiddie came down the floor and knocked it down with his first try.

Dinwiddie was matched up with another talented young player, Jamal Murray, in the second round. Murray had defeated LA Clippers veteran guard Lou Williams with ease in the opening round. Once again, Dinwiddie fell behind in the first portion of the course but managed to come back. Murray missed his first and only three-point attempt while Dinwiddie came up clutch and made his first shot.

Second Round:

Championship Round:

In the final round, Dinwiddie found himself matched up against Chicago Bulls rookie Lauri Markkanen. “The Finisher” had to take down two Eastern All-Stars to make the final round. Markkanen defeated the Pistons’ Andre Drummond in the first round and the Sixers’ Joel Embiid, who opened with a win against Celtics All-Star Al Horford, in the second round.

Dinwiddie was able to build a lead on Markkanen by converting on his first pass attempt. He held a comfortable lead and cruised to a victory, even though he didn’t hit his first three-pointer.

Besides coming away with the victory, Dinwiddie also came away with another assist. Each player in the competition was matched with a student receiving a scholarship from Taco Bell, with the winning player earning extra scholarship money for their student.

Dinwiddie becomes the second Net to win the Skills Competition. Prior to him, Jason Kidd won the competition in its inaugural appearance in 2003.