Steve Nash beats Deron Williams to win All-Star Skills Challenge

Nash wins All-Star Skills Challenge

DALLAS — Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash has won the All-Star Skills Challenge with a time of 29.9 seconds in the finals.

Nash also won the event in 2005. Saturday night’s victory capped a whirlwind 24 hours for the Canadian, who helped light the Olympic cauldron at Friday’s opening ceremonies in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Utah Jazz guard Deron Williams, who was the 2008 Skills Challenge champion, finished second with a time of 37.9 seconds.

Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook replaced Derrick Rose in the competition. Rose, the defending skills champ, sat out with a bruised right hip.

Westbrook and Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings were eliminated in the first round.

Team Texas won the Shooting Stars competition earlier Saturday.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

DALLAS (AP) — Hometown favorite Dirk Nowitzki hit a shot from halfcourt to cap Team Texas’ victory in the Shooting Stars competition in the opening event of Saturday night’s NBA All-Star festivities.

Texas, which also consisted of San Antonio Silver Stars player Becky Hammon and former Houston guard Kenny Smith, beat Team Los Angeles with a time of 34.3 in the finals. The Texas trio needed 13 shots to complete the final round.

Lakers All-Star Pau Gasol, former NBA player Brent Barry and Marie Ferdinand-Harris of the Los Angeles Sparks came in second, finishing in 55.2 seconds.

Los Angeles hit its first five shots in the finals in less than 30 seconds, but only had a couple of chances from halfcourt to beat Texas’ time.

Atlanta (Joe Johnson, former Hawks guard Steve Smith and Angel McCoughtry of the Atlanta Dream) and Sacramento (Tyreke Evans, former All-Star Chris Webber and former Sacrameno Monarchs player Nicole Powell) were eliminated in the first round.

Texas completed the first round in 1:28 and Los Angeles finished in 1 minute.

Three-person teams have to hit a total of six shots from different locations on the floor, culminating with a shot from halfcourt.