To get the NBA’s 2018 All-Star Saturday festivities kicked off, four guards and four bigs took the floor in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge.In the third year of the small-man versus big-man format, the competition was heated and a slew of talented athletes took part. In the Skills Challenge, participants must weave in and out of cones, convert a chest pass through a tire-sized hole, run down to the other end of the floor to make a layup or dunk and then run back to the other end and make a three. The first player to convert all four aspects is crowned the winner.In the first round, Philadelphia 76ers center and All-Star starter Joel Embiid took down Boston Celtics veteran All-Star reserve Al Horford. Despite getting behind, Embiid was able to convert his first three-pointer while Horford missed multiple attempts and couldn’t capitalize on his position. Chicago Bulls rookie power forward Lauri Markkanen narrowly made his three-pointer before Detroit Pistons All-Star center Andre Drummond.Markkanen then defeated Embiid to advance to the final round.On the guard’s side of the bracket, Brooklyn Nets breakout point guard Spencer Dinwiddie defeated Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield, who missed his first two shots from beyond the arc. Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray got way ahead in his matchup against hometown Los Angeles Clippers star Lou Williams, who didn’t even get down the court to attempt his three-pointer before Murray eliminated him.Dinwiddie got the best of Murray despite playing from behind. Murray, a deadeye shooter on most nights, missed his first three-point attempt, which opened the door for Dinwiddie, who converted his shot to advance.Dinwiddie and Markkanen squared off in the final and the guard ended up pulling out the win, snapping a two-year drought for the smaller group. It wasn’t much of a matchup, either. Dinwiddie converted his first chest pass to get way ahead and despite missing his first three, he still had plenty of time to convert his second before the big man could even make it to the line to attempt his first.

"That's one of the marks of my game, being able to affect the game in multiple ways, whether it be passing, defending or scoring," Dinwiddie said afterward. "Good thing they didn't have a rebounding challenge, I guess, in this or I wouldn't have won it.”

Although Dinwiddie wasn’t selected to an All-Star team, he’s having a breakout campaign. The 24-year-old point guard is averaging 13.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists in 29.0 minutes per game for the Nets. Therefore, this was a nice honor for him to receive in recognition of the hard work he put into emerging as a legitimate NBA starter after years of being overlooked.