Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine outlasted Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon in an epic final round of the dunk contest, posting four straight flawless 50s to win for the second straight year on Saturday night in Toronto. Instead, that honor belonged to Aaron Gordon, who not only pulled up more hard dunks, but he was also able to entertain the crowd with his creativity.
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The dunk contest was actually slow to build with Will Barton of the Denver Nuggets and Andre Drummond eliminated after two-dunk scores of 74 and 75, respectively.
“I just think that was the best contest”, LaVine said.
Finally, the actual talent and skill of dunking a basketball is back in the NBA Slam-Dunk Contest.
Just watch it in slow motion.
After impressing with their opening round dunks, the two sophomores put on a show that won’t soon be forgotten during the final round.
“I’ll have to go with something a little less”, he said, “maybe a normal pinot from Burgundy or something”.
The worst part about this dunk contest was that while LaVine kept making “50” dunks – and no one would disagree he was impressive – the two very best dunks of all were Gordon’s dunks while jumping over the magic mascot. LaVine advanced to the final round along by leaving from the free thrown line on his dunk.
Defending dunk champion Zach LaVine is in the lead after the preliminary round after getting a flawless 50 on his opening dunk and a 49 on the second one.
Later, Gordon threw down perhaps the night’s best dunk: a 360 windmill with the ball plucked off his team’s rotating mascot.
LaVine’s Timberwolves teammate Karl-Anthony Towns won the Skills Challenge, and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors emerged victorious in the Three-Point Shootout earlier in the night.
LaVine earned 50-point scores for each dunk in the final as judges Shaquille O’Neal, Tracy McGrady, Magic Johnson, Dikembe Mutombo and George Gervin were ecstatic after each finish. Towns, who was the tallest at 7-feet tall, won in the first year that the contest allowed forwards and centers to participate.
On A Podcast To Be Named Later, we discuss all of Saturday night starting off with the skills competition.
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Curry made his first seven shots and three of the last four to put up a score of 23. You’ve seen Michael Jordan and some others in past dunk contests dunk from the free throw line. I just don’t see anyone topping him.
