Instead of "buy one, get one free" these six shooters abide by the "shoot one, get one point free" bargain. That is to say, why get two points for a jumper when you can make one that's worth three?

Nowitzki edged Arenas last year and the rematch will happen on All-Star Saturday Night at the Thomas & Mack Center. The following is a look at the candidates and their three-point statistics as well as their Hot Zones showing the spots on the floor where their stroke is the sweetest.

But first, here are the rules:

The players will compete in the two-round competition with the top three finishers from the first round advancing to the finals. Five shooting stations will be set up around the three-point line, with four orange balls worth one point each and one multi-colored ball (money ball) worth two points at each location. Each player will have one minute to shoot as many balls as he can. In the final round, players will shoot in ascending order of first round scores. At the discretion of the referee, television instant replay may be consulted for clarification of rules compliance.

That means a perfect rack is six points and a perfect round is 30. So, if the Hibachi gets hot he might be able to make up for that Portland prediction and get his 50 points (over two rounds) in the Three-Point Shootout.

THE RUNNER-UP

PLAYER	3PM	3PA	PCT
Gilbert Arenas, WAS	143	391	36.6

Breakdown: Arenas has been very hot from beyond the arc this season at times (7-for-11 on Nov. 18 vs. Cleveland) and very cold (3-for-15 on Feb. 3 vs. the Lakers) but anybody who has seen his one-handed shooting display knows the damage he can do. Not sure if he will be better served starting from the left side (his hottest spot, see above) to get off to a good start, or starting on the right which is his coldest spot and saving the left for the last rack when he might need a few buckets.

THE ENTERTAINER

PLAYER	3PM	3PA	PCT
Damon Jones, CLE	85	216	39.4

Breakdown: Jones publicly campaigned for a spot in the contest and got his wish. I saw him nail 7-for-10 from deep at the Garden earlier in the season with my own two eyes and that is the type of zone he'll need to be in again to win the competition. If it comes down to a corner three late he can just think back to Game 6 of last year's playoffs vs. the Wizards for a been-there, done-that confidence boost.

THE YOUNGIN'

PLAYER	3PM	3PA	PCT
Jason Kapono, MIA	87	157	55.4

Breakdown: Wow, talk about Hot Zones! Look at Kapono's. He's in a Hot Zone when he's on the floor. The main reason the Heat put Kapono in the game is for his outside shooting, so if he wants to stay in he has to tickle the twine. He has done quite well in the role as his 55.4 three-point percentage leads the league.

THE LONG-HAIRED ASSASSIN

PLAYER	3PM	3PA	PCT
Mike Miller, MEM	154	362	42.5

Breakdown: A three-point trophy would be a nice addition to Miller's hardware collection that already includes Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year honors. When Miller gets hot, it's lights out. He shot 23-for-34 from downtown over three games between Dec. 30 - Jan. 3.

THE DEFENDING CHAMP

PLAYER	3PM	3PA	PCT
Dirk Nowitzki, DAL	47	112	42.0

Breakdown: Nowitzki attempts just 2.2 three-pointers per game on average which is about one less than his 3.3 average last year and way below his 4.9 attempts per game in 2002-03. That doesn't mean he has lost his touch. His 42 percent accuracy is the highest of his nine-year career.

THE TEAMMATE

PLAYER	3PM	3PA	PCT
Jason Terry, DAL	101	240	38.3

Breakdown: Unlike Dirk, Terry's three-point totals are going up as he nearly has as many makes in 50 games this season (101) as he had in 2004-05 (103). If Terry starts off hot from the left side, he should only get strong as he moves to the spots on the right.