Eric Gordon needed OT to flatten Kyrie Irving and win the 3-Point Shootout

One small step for Eric Gordon, one giant leap for mankind.

Naturally, Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving, who stole headlines this weekend with his flat-Earth theory and potential fake news commentary, made the championship round of the All-Star Weekend’s 3-Point Shootout. The NBA couldn’t have scripted it better if they were Alex Jones himself.

But Gordon, the former New Orleans Pelicans turned Houston Rockets guard who heard boos from his former hometown crowd all night, pushed Irving to overtime of the final round, and then knocked him out before he even got to his final rack, ensuring all those “Kyrie’s shot looked flat” jokes still landed.

Eric Gordon has to do this for Earth

— Vann R. Newkirk II (@fivefifths) February 19, 2017

(•_•)
<) )╯Kyrie's
/

(•_•)
( (> Shot is
/
(•_•)
<) )> Flat
/
— ☕netw3rk (@netw3rk) February 19, 2017

 

seemed like the odd gravity of flat earth took its toll on kyrie there

— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) February 19, 2017

 

“It’s not really weird,” Gordon said of winning in New Orleans. “I’m used to these rims here. I’ve been here for five years. I’ve always been a pretty good shooter. I’m just happy to win it, just to win it.”

Defending champion Klay Thompson’s 18 points weren’t enough to get him out of the first round, just shy of Kemba Walker’s 19 points, and Nick Young (18), Wes Matthews (11), C.J. McCollum (10) and Kyle Lowry (9) joined Thompson in bowing out early. That left Gordon, Irving and Kemba Walker in the final.

Congrats @KyrieIrving making final round of 3PT Contest. Earth flat but basketball is round here in NOLA. Let's get it FOR CLE. #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/PVkKq3KeeR

— Dan Gilbert (@cavsdan) February 19, 2017

Gordon was feeling it all night, collecting a first-round-high 23 points despite not even getting his final money ball shot off in time. In the second and final round, Irving made seven of his last nine to post 20 points, but Gordon netted 18 points entering his final rack, where he made just one and forced OT.

Irving was feeling it, too:

Kyrie Irving guitar solo celly pic.twitter.com/LRHlHhHMnR

— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) February 19, 2017

Irving actually did fall flat in the final round, losing steam and watching his final few attempts come up well off the mark to finish with 18. Gordon followed in methodic fashion, getting to 19 by his fourth rack and finishing with 20. The New Orleans crowd wasn’t so enthusiastic when he raised the trophy in a Houston uniform, and the normally subdued Gordon celebrated in his customary chill fashion.

“Yeah, I heard a little bit,” Gordon said of the crowd’s reaction throughout his three shooting rounds, “but I’m not worried. I was focused on trying to win. That’s all that matters.” Mission accomplished.

The win marked the first 3-Point Shootout victory for both Gordon and the Rockets franchise. Irving won the event in 2013, followed by Marco Belinelli, Stephen Curry and Thompson in recent years.

Gordon’s next mission: A Sixth Man of the Year award to add to his increasingly crowded trophy case.

“I definitely would like to win Sixth Man of the Year,” said Gordon. “Coach [Mike] D’Antoni, he was always — when he moved me to the bench, he was like, you’d better make sure you win this award and be productive. So as long as we continue to win and I continue to do it, I think it’s possible.”

Anything is possible, as long as he’s willing to go to the end of the Earth to get it done.