The betting pool this time had more participants, and as expected, the bookie, Boss Qiao, had a significantly higher probability of winning money.
"Betting on Carter to win the Three-Point Contest, odds are 1.2 to 1."
"Betting on Ray Allen to win the Three-Point Contest, odds are 1.4 to 1."
"Betting on Billups to win the Three-Point Contest, odds are 1.6 to 1."
"Betting on Arenas to win the Three-Point Contest, odds are 1.8 to 1."
"Betting on Quentin Richardson to win the Three-Point Contest, odds are 2.0 to 1."
"Betting on Nowitzki to win the Three-Point Contest, odds are 2.2 to 1."
Judging by the setup, Boss Qiao's favorites were Carter, Ray Allen, and Billups, while his least favored was the Mavericks' big man, Nowitzki!
However, in the original history, the winner of the 2006 All-Star Weekend Three-Point Contest was precisely the Mavericks' Nowitzki!
Boss Qiao's foresight was truly unique...
Fortunately, this year Carter's addition was like He Xi Meng joining the Skills Challenge; both were unknown x-factors. Until the very last moment, no one could be sure if these x-factors would change the outcome.
Even He Xi Meng couldn't predict the result. Whether Carter would defend his title or Nowitzki would reign supreme remained uncertain.
Therefore, He Xi Meng chose to remain neutral and ultimately abstained from betting, opting to watch from the sidelines.
Arenas was the first to take the stage.
Not favored by Boss Qiao, Arenas harbored a deep resentment and was eager to prove himself.
Yet, on the All-Star Weekend stage, it was common to see those who arrived with grand declarations depart in defeat.
Arenas clearly exerted too much force, missing every shot in the first five attempts at the initial spot.
The clanging sounds were like hammer blows, each one striking deep into The General's heart.
Seeing no hope of reaching the finals, Arenas shed his burden and sank all five shots at the last spot.
Even so, due to the numerous misses in the first four spots, Arenas' final score was a mere 14 points!
Nowitzki, the second to compete, seemed to be in line with Boss Qiao's prediction, his shooting touch appearing mediocre. While not as erratic as Arenas, his average performance was comparable to Arenas' earlier showing.
Fortunately, Nowitzki managed to sink the final money ball at the last spot.
Although this shot was borderline over time, it was the All-Star Weekend, focused on entertainment. No one would overly scrutinize whether the shot was timely, as long as Nowitzki made it and the fans were happy, it was a good shot!
It was precisely this lucky shot that allowed Nowitzki to surpass Arenas by one point, his final score settling at 15 points!
"With this score, he's got no chance!" Boss Qiao confidently declared after Nowitzki finished shooting.
"I don't think so! There's an old Chinese saying, 'After surviving a great disaster, one will surely have good fortune!' What if others falter? Dirk's score could still make it to the finals, and then he could turn the tables..." He Xi Meng, with nothing else to do, spoke a word of fairness for Nowitzki.
But to Boss Qiao, it seemed He Xi Meng disagreed with him?
What to do when opinions differ? Naturally, gamble with real money!
"I recall you didn't bet earlier, did you? Come on! Let's make a bet!"
"How do we bet?"
"I bet Dirk won't make it to the finals!" Boss Qiao stated with certainty.
Although He Xi Meng was unsure whether Nowitzki or Carter would ultimately win, Nowitzki, as the champion in the original timeline, should at least make it to the finals, right?
"Deal! I'll take this bet!"
Since Boss Qiao was so eager to give away money, He Xi Meng couldn't refuse. Besides, Old Qiao wasn't short of ten or twenty thousand dollars.
The two shook hands and bumped fists, sealing their side bet.
Ray Allen was the third contestant.
Ray Allen had already won the Three-Point Contest, but he was persistent, wanting to emulate He Xi Meng and win three trophies before retiring from this competition.
Therefore, after losing to Carter last year and unable to swallow his pride, Ray Allen once again accepted the organizing committee's invitation to make a comeback.
In terms of pure skill, Ray Allen's three-point shooting ability was undoubtedly top-tier in the league.
But for some reason, whenever he stepped onto the Three-Point Contest stage, Ray Allen seemed unable to perform at his best.
Thus, on one hand, Ray Allen didn't want to be outdone by He Xi Meng, aiming to match or surpass He Xi Meng's three consecutive championships. On the other hand, Ray Allen might also be challenging himself, seeking to improve his clutch shooting ability.
In this preliminary round, Ray Allen performed well, scoring 19 points, surpassing Nowitzki and Arenas to take the lead temporarily.
"What did I say? You need at least a performance like Ray's to make it to the Three-Point Contest finals!" Boss Qiao lectured He Xi Meng calmly after watching Ray Allen's performance.
He Xi Meng smiled slightly, not arguing with Boss Qiao. He knew arguing was useless; the only way to deal with the mysteriously confident Boss Qiao was through facts.
Logic? He himself was the greatest logic on the basketball court!
The fourth contestant was another player Boss Qiao highly favored: Billups!
Billups had become the soul of the Pistons in recent seasons, earning him the nickname "Mr. Big Shot."
While orchestrating the Pistons' offensive and defensive rhythm, his three-point shooting was remarkably stable, and he consistently made crucial long-range shots to turn the tide of games.
This was also a significant reason why Boss Qiao favored Billups!
However, Billups disappointed Boss Qiao.
Upon taking the court, Billups missed shot after shot, his shooting percentage even worse than Arenas'. His final score was a dismal 12 points, placing him at the bottom and eliminating him directly.
Billups walked off with a wry smile, while Boss Qiao on the sidelines shook his head in surprise, spreading his hands in disbelief at Billups' dismal performance.
He Xi Meng did not add insult to injury. He did not mock Billups' subpar performance because of his bet with Boss Qiao.
Although Billups had always considered He Xi Meng as someone to pursue and defeat, it didn't hinder their relatively close relationship off the court.
Even when Billups hadn't yet established himself and bounced around multiple teams, He Xi Meng had continuously encouraged him, believing he would eventually succeed...
The current Billups, despite He Xi Meng having sent the championship trophy that originally belonged to the Pistons to San Antonio, had still managed to become a top point guard in the league.
As Billups walked off in disappointment, He Xi Meng specifically walked up to him and offered a comforting hug...