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IT Falls in Skills Competition After Sleepless Night

Marc D'Amico
Team Reporter and Analyst

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NEW ORLEANS – Isaiah Thomas fell to Gordon Hayward in the semifinals of Saturday night’s Taco Bell Skills Challenge at All-Star weekend. The defeat may have stemmed from, of all things, a conversation the point guard had the previous day.

Thomas revealed after the event that he met Michael Jordan on Friday, and their conversation prevented him from getting much rest ahead of All-Star Saturday night.

“He said he’s been watching,” Thomas said of his conversation with Jordan. “He said, ‘Keep killing.’ He said, ‘Take the night off when you play us (the Charlotte Hornets), but keep doing your thing.’

“That’s crazy,” he continued. “I couldn’t sleep last night when he said that.”

Thomas added that receiving such compliments from “the greatest player ever” was a jarring moment, which led to his restless night in bed.

Despite the lack of sleep, Thomas did advance to the semifinals of the event after easily knocking out Phoenix’s Devin Booker in the first round. The point guard had a chance to beat Hayward and advance to the finals, but for the second consecutive year, he was unable to connect on a 3-pointer to down his opponent.

“I didn’t make the shot,” he said after the event. “I guess it wasn’t the fourth quarter.”

Thomas’ comment was a witty allusion to his NBA-leading average of 10.7 points per fourth quarter this season.

The point guard, who has now participated in the Skills Challenge three times, stated that this year’s event would be his final Skills Challenge.

“It’s fun, but it sucks losing,” he said. “I hate losing no matter what it is.”

Big man Kristaps Porzingis went on to win the title, defeating Hayward in the final round.

Surely, Thomas would have preferred to have taken down the win, but at least he lost for good reason. The greatest player in the history of the game praised him, face-to-face, on Friday. That’s a fair reason to be up all night.