HOUSTON -- Dale Ellis of Seattle outshot Chicago's Craig Hodges in the NBA three-point contest Saturday, becoming the first player other than Boston's Larry Bird to win the long-distance shootout.
Ellis, who placed second to Bird last year, beat a field of nine that featured a non-NBA player for the first time. Rimas Kurtinaitis, who led the Soviet Union to a gold medal at the Seoul Olympics, finished in last place by hitting just 7 of 25 attempts.
'Everything was fine for me, except inside I was nervous,' Kurtinaitis said. 'That may have affected my shooting. The pressure was probably higher for me. I hope more Europeans will be invited although a lot of people feel European players are of a lower quality.
'I certainly didn't prove those people wrong today.'
Ellis scored 19 points in the finals, hitting 15 of 25 shots while Hodges had 15 points, sinking 13 of his 25 attempts.
'I just had to be in the finals this year,' said Ellis, who placed second to Bird last year. 'This event is always a real challenge.'
Bird, who won all three previous long-distance shootouts, was unable to participate this year because he is recovering from surgery on both feet.
Ellis and Hodges were the top two finishers in each round. Hodges scored 20 points in the first round while Ellis had 19. Each finished with 18 in the semifinals to advance.
Hodges also was a runner-up to Bird, placing second in the 1986 contest. He tied Ellis for fifth in 1987 and was eighth last year.
Ellis said he was disappointed Bird was not entered. 'I look forward to shooting against him next year,' he added.
Ellis said he was starting to get tired toward the finals, but took advantage of Hodges' decision to go first.
'I was a little winded after the second round,' said Ellis. 'It was to my advantage that my competition had to shoot first. I feel the corner shots are the easiest to make. After a round or two, you get a feel for the ball.'
Hodges won the coin toss and elected to shoot first, hitting his first two shots. He missed two, then hit three in a row. After that, he was unable to hit more than two straight.
Ellis sank three of his first six shots, then hit seven in a row. He then hit five of his next nine to win the contest.
'I felt I wanted to go for it,' said Hodges. 'Ten grand is nothing to sneeze at. Dale shot well. I was pumped. I wanted to win. I did my best.'
Kurtinaitis, who scored a game-high 28 points against the U.S. in the finals at Seoul, missed his first four shots, hit one, then missed four straight before hitting again. He sank three in a row for his best streak, but missed his last six attempts.