Daequan Cook Surprises Everyone, Takes 3-Point Shootout Crown

PHOENIX -- The competition was there for Jason Kapono. Or maybe Rashard Lewis. Even veteran Mike Bibby might come out of the field the champion. The one thing that was certain was the second-year man from Miami wasn't taking this title, no way, no how.

Everybody forgot to tell Daequan Cook he wasn't going to win, though as Cook scored 18 points in the first round, 15 in the semifinals and 19 in a playoff against Lewis to take the title.

"It means a lot," Cook said, "showing that hard work pays off. How important it was for me, not just me but my team, it represents a lot. It was very important for me to win tonight."

Cook had to nearly clear his last rack in the second round to make it to the finals against Lewis -- and did that with some concentration and thinking that makes me realize why most aren't professional athletes.

"My last two racks, I was actually doing the math as I was shooting," Cook recalled. "When I got to my last rack, I knew I had to have all of them to at least stay in it, to tie. It was going through my mind as I was shooting my last rack."

Teammate Dwyane Wade congratulated Cook after the win, telling him "great job bringing it home." Cook was the third Heat to win the competition with Kapono winning it with the team in 06-07 and Glen Rice heating it up in 94-95.