CHICAGO — Aaron Gordon cannot catch a break in an All-Star Dunk Contest dunk-off.
In the best Dunk Contest since 2016 — when Gordon controversially lost in a dunk-off to Zach LaVine — Gordon lost another dunk-off, this time despite dunking over 7'5" Tacko Fall for the final dunk of the night.
“Jumping over somebody 7'5" [note: without shoes] and dunking is no easy feat,” Gordon said, stating the obvious. “What did I get, like a 47? Come on, man. What are we doing?”
Yes, Gordon got a 47 out of 50 for that dunk and the crowd in the United Center was not happy with the judges, but that was a theme for the night. The judges, for their part, apparently were conspiring to send the dunk-off to a third round but screwed it up.
Just spoke to dunk contest judge @common who tells @ESPN, “We thought it was going to be tied. We were like, ‘This is a tie’ ...But somebody didn’t do it right. I don’t know who it is.” 👀👀👀
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) February 16, 2020
Gordon, who now has lost three Dunk Contests, two in dunk-offs, leaves the peoples’ champ but he is not coming back.
“It’s a wrap, bro. It’s a wrap. I feel like I should have two trophies,” Gordon said when asked if he would do another Dunk Contest.
Gordon should have gotten a 50 and won on that last dunk, but make no mistake, Derrick Jones Jr. earned the win — most of the night his dunks were cleaner and, to my eyes, right there with Gordon’s.
Jones — who turned 23 on Saturday — started the final round by leaping over two people and taking the ball between the legs.
DJJ’s head was at the RIM 🤯 #ATTSlamDunk pic.twitter.com/DMAUoY9h0J
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 16, 2020
Then went off the side of the backboard, between the legs and threw it down.
DJJ with another INSANE jam. pic.twitter.com/8dQZjOgZaH
— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2020
Jones was ready for the extra dunks.
“I got a whole lot in my arsenal,” Jones said of the couple extra dunks. “I knew every dunk that I was going to do even if it went to overtime. I planned this.”
This was a great dunk contest because it wasn’t just the two finalists who were throwing down epic dunks.
One of the most entertaining dunks of the night came from the Bucks’ Pat Connaughton — the white guy in the contest leaned into it and went with the White Men Can’t Jump dunk. He did it over the Brewers Christian Yelich, but somehow only got a 45.
Pat Connaughton jumps over MLB star Christian Yelich for a score of 45! #ATTSlamDunk #StateFarmSaturday on @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/SD5tpLY2bu
— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2020
Connaughton won the crowd over again with his second dunk, taking the ball from Giannis Antetokounmpo, tapping backboard, and then dunking. That got him a deserved 50.
Giannis’ reaction to Pat’s dunk 😯😅 #ATTSlamDunk pic.twitter.com/GaWyq7F3dG
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 16, 2020
Dwight Howard broke out the Superman dunk again, but this time as a tribute to Kobe.
Dwight Howard brings back the Superman cape for a score of 49! #ATTSlamDunk #StateFarmSaturday on @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/ifxkWuI4gY
— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2020
The NBA history books will record this as a Derrick Jones Jr. win. But everyone who watched this contest knows who won.
