By Scott Boeck, USA TODAY
PHOENIX — New York's Nate Robinson was Superman's kryptonite.
Orlando's Dwight Howard, aka Superman, couldn't defend his slam dunk contest during NBA All-Star Saturday Night at U.S. Airways Center.
Robinson, now known as Krypto-Nate, pulled off the upset by winning 52% of the fans worldwide vote. The 5-9 guard, who won in 2006, became the fifth multiple winner.
Dressed in an all-green Knicks uniform with green shoes, Robinson used Howard, donned in his cape, as a prop in the final round. He spring boarded over the 6-foot-11 center for a one-handed jam.
"Dwight was a great sport letting me dunk over him," said Robinson.
"He won fair and square," said Howard, who leads the NBA in dunks. "We tried to put on a good show. That's what it is all about at All-Star Weekend."
Robinson and Howard did just that, starting on their second attempt in the first round.
Howard disappeared into a phone booth next to the court and came out with his Superman cape. In tune to the song "I want to go higher," out came a second basket raised to 12-feet.
He received a bounce pass from teammate Jameer Nelson for a two-handed slam and scored his second perfect 50 score.
Robinson advanced by using teammate Wilson Chandler, who was down on all fours, as a step-ladder for a one-handed jam.
How did Robinson come up with new ideas?
"Believe it or not, video games," he said. "I said, oh, 2K9. They got the dunk contest, they do crazy dunks. You just to use your imagination. When you do, the sky is the limit."
Denver's J.R. Smith and Portland's Rudy Fernandez were eliminated in the first round. Fernandez, a native of Spain, was the first international player to compete in the event.
Robinson said he will compete in the contest next year if the fans want him to. If he does, he would be going against Cleveland's LeBron James, who said he plans to compete next year.
Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout
Miami's Daequan Cook needed a one-minute tiebreaker to beat Orlando's Rashard Lewis in the Three-Point Shootout.
"It was a tough win, but a lot of focus and hard work, I pulled it off against some great competitors such a (Toronto's) Jason Kapono, the back-to-back champ," said Cook, a 41% shooter from beyond the arc.
Kapono was trying to become the third player to capture three straight titles — Larry Bird, who won 1986-88, and Craig Hodges, 1990-92. He came up one point short in the second round.
Cook had forced overtime by hitting his final four shots in the second round
Lewis struggled in the overtime round, missing his first 11 shots. Cook won the round 19-7. Kapono finished third with 14 points.
San Antonio's Roger Mason, Atlanta's Mike Bibby and Indiana's Danny Granger were eliminated in the first round.
PlayStation Skills Challenge
Chicago Bulls rookie guard Derrick Rose took his time to capture the Skills Challenge title.
"I wanted to take my time, make sure I didn't trip out there because of those sharp turns," Rose said. "I don't want to want to fall on TV. In Chicago, they would make a joke of it."
The rookie-of -the-year candidate covered the "obstacle" course in 35.3 seconds in the second round and ended the event, which consists of dribbling, passing and shooting stations, with an emphatic double-pump reverse dunk.
"Probably won't see me dunk for two more months," Rose said afterward.
The No. 1 draft pick in the 2008 draft beat first-time All-Star Devin Harris of the New Jersey Nets by 4.4 seconds.
Cleveland's Mo Williams and San Antonio's Tony Parker were eliminated in the first round. Williams took third with a time of 37.5 seconds after replacing Orlando's Jameer Nelson, who is injured.
Haier Shooting Stars
Team Detroit —Aaron Afflalo, the Pistons' 2007 first round pick, Detroit Shock head coach and general manager Bill Laimbeer and 2008 WNBA Finals MVP Katie Smith — beat hometown favorite Team Phoenix — Dan Majerle, Suns legend, Leandro Barbosa, the 2006-07 Sixth Man Award winner, and Mercury star Tangela Smith — in the Shooting Stars contest. Team Detroit, last year's runner-up, won its second title in three years.
Team Phoenix had a chance to win the event, in which players shoot from six locations of increasing difficulty, but failed to make a half-court shot in time.
The defending champion Team San Antonio — three-time Finals MVP Tim Duncan, David Robinson, one of the 50 Greatest Players of all-time, and four-time WNBA all-star Becky Hammon — were eliminated in the first round.
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