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Suns rookie Devin Booker finishes third in 3-point contest

Feb 13, 2016, 7:50 PM | Updated: 11:31 pm

Phoenix Suns rookie Devin Booker didn’t get off to the strongest start but splashed enough of his money-ball rack to survive and then advance into the final round of the NBA Three-Point Contest before falling to the Splash Brothers.

Booker finished third in the All-Star weekend event behind Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry, the runner-up and reigning champion, and Klay Thompson, who took home the crown.

The strongest round from the Suns’ rookie came early. After missing seven of his first eight, he hit the final four shots — all money-balls — of the minute-long first round to score 20 points. That was good enough to tie him with the Clippers’ J.J. Redick and the Rockets’ James Harden, but Booker beat both with 12 points in a 30-second tiebreaker round to reach the finals.

Booker went first in the finals but scored 16 points, not enough to overcome Curry (23) or Thompson (27).

The 19-year-old Booker is shooting 40 percent from deep so far this season and twice has hit six threes in a game, a Phoenix rookie record.

Booker already displayed his silky-smooth jumper this weekend when he scored 23 points on just 13 shots Friday in the Rising Stars Challenge.

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