Aaron Gordon misplaced every other epic dunk contest. And it was by way of a number of inches — specifically, the top of Tacko Fall’s head.

Derrick Jones Jr. not directly obtained his prolonged-awaited dunk contest title as an exclamation degree to an scintillating All-well-known person Saturday evening, both for him and the Miami heat. Jones and Gordon needed a dunk-off to make a decision a winner, Jones prevailing forty eight-47 within the one who determined who left with the trophy.

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Aaron Gordon says he’s finished with dunk Contest After Losing In

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Miami’s Bam Adebayo received the talents title as neatly, and Sacramento’s buddy Hield took the three-stage crown. Their wins had been absolute, without ambiguity: the ball coming into prompt the story. however the dunk contest — much like the one between Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins in Chicago 32 years earlier — obtained right here all the method down to the judges’ name Jones Jr. defeats Gordon in slam dunk contest:

Aaron Gordon says he’s achieved with dunk contest after shedding in …

Derrick Jones Jr. prevailed over Aaron Gordon right away traditional to win the 2020 NBA slam dunk contest. 2:14

Gordon brushed in opposition to the again of Fall’s head, and that used to be sufficient to sway three of the judges — they gave 9s, and that combined with two 10s dropped at the last word forty seven. Jones stated he would have settled for each different dunk-off spherical.

“He clipped Tacko’s head when he did that dunk, so I knew they couldn’t have gave him a 50 for that one,” stated Jones, who used to be within the dunk contest in 2017 as neatly. “i would have revered it in the event that they gave him any other forty eight, so that you could go again.”

Factor is, it wasn’t clear in the event that they’d have dunked again had it nonetheless been tied after Gordon’s final strive. The NBA was as soon as no longer going to permit co-champions, and there would had been some extent — which they have got been possibly at — when judges would have needed to vote and make a decision a winner.

Controversy reigned regardless. And similar to 2016, when Gordon misplaced to Zach LaVine in one of the most vital best dunk contests ever, the Magic beforehand — who set a dunk contest file with five just right ratings — left pissed off.

‘I must have two trophies’

“I believe like I should have two trophies,” Gordon said.

When Gordon the 7-foot-5 Fall to return out for his remaining dunk — Fall performed college basketball in Orlando at UCF — it used to be the final word chance-reward second.

Gordon, who wished to soar over the slightly shorter-than-Fall Shaquille O’Neal alternatively offered that invitation declined, needed a forty nine to win. however he failed to completely clear his very tall prop, and similar to that Jones was once as soon as the champion.

“Tallest dude in the health club.” Gordon mentioned. “jumping over anyone 7-5 and dunking it, it can be no straightforward feat. What’d I get, a 47? Come on, man. What are we doing?”

Jones lauded Gordon for trying a dunk over Fall.

“If I’d have thought of it previous, I might have did it,” Jones said.

The first spherical was full of props: Jones — celebrating his twenty third birthday — had a birthday cake and Adebayo on the court docket for his first dunk, Gordon went over Chicago native likelihood The Rapper for a slam, Milwaukee’s Pat Connaughton leaped over Bucks teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo and kissed the ball off the glass previous to his 2nd dunk, and the l. a. Lakers’ Dwight Howard brought once more his Superman dunk from eleven years ago as neatly.

Jones Jr. and Gordon emerged as the 2 finalists. Gordon was once as soon as perfect on each dunk except his ultimate one. however at last, Jones proved prophetic.

“I discussed I would do it,” Jones mentioned.

Adebayo wins skills problem

Adebayo drew 2018 talents champion Spencer Dinwiddie of Brooklyn within the first round, having no draw back with the correct cross right into a excellent window, layup and 3-pointer that, to win, are looking to be made quicker than an opponent completes the identical route. related issue within the 2nd spherical, Adebayo finished off Toronto’s Pascal Siakam and no longer using a move over as soon as once more to earn his spot in the closing.

“I steered Spencer I’m going to be the champion,” Adebayo mentioned. “We had been on foot in, and that i informed Spencer I was once going to be a champion.”

It received right here down to important males: Adebayo against Indiana’s Domantas Sabonis. It took three tries for Adebayo to make his three-pointer to win, and he nonetheless wound up beating Sabonis to the ultimate make. Sabonis felt he rushed his 2nd shot, and that gave Adebayo a leg up.

Neither Sabonis nor Adebayo was once once greatly surprised that a pair of bigs wound up dueling for the abilities title.

“it’s simply exhibiting how the sport is altering and the way huge men and energy forwards are principally citing the ball, passing the ball,” Sabonis talked about.

Adebayo devoted the win to his mom — she’ll be getting the trophy as neatly — and said he was once in particular honoured to compete with a patch on that paid tribute to Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and the opposite seven victims of the helicopter crash that took their lives in Southern California on Jan. 26.

Avid gamers honour Kobe Gianna

All opponents Saturday wore a patch with the numbers 2 and 24 — for Gianna and Kobe — surrounded through 9 stars, signifying nine victims.

“once I used to be once in high school, I discussed if I get to the NBA, I are looking to meet Kobe,” Adebayo mentioned. “I felt like this [was] my All-giant name to do it. I believe like he’s been more of an impression now than he was once again then. not announcing that him residing failed to do anything else for me, but it surely simply way further now that i know i will by no means meet him. i think like he’s privy to who i am now. So simply maintain looking for to make him proud.”

Adebayo gained his trophy with a 3-pointer on the last word shot, so in all probability it was as soon as changing into that Hield won his in the identical approach.

the three-point contest obtained here right right down to Hield, Booker and Washington’s Davis Bertans after 5 others — together with defending champion Joe Harris — were knocked out in the first round. Bertans went first inside the closing spherical, scoring 22. Booker went subsequent, scoring 26.

And that left Hield, who made his ultimate six photos of the outlet spherical and wished to get scorching once more late inside the final.

No downside friend Hield wins three-degree contest:

Sacramento’s pal Hield hits his final shot to facet Devin Booker in the rest of the three-level contest. 1:21

His “cash ball” rack — the one where each shot was once worth two elements — was the final word of his 5 full racks, and he acquired to that corner with 19 elements. That intended he had to go 4 for five on the remainder rack to catch Booker.

First one, make. 2nd one, make. 0.33 one, make.

Hield then lost sight of the fourth shot beforehand of letting the final one fly — dancing for pleasure when it dropped all over the web, giving him a walkoff victory.

“As a shooter, that’s for your bucket listing,” Hield mentioned. “it’s important to are to be had in and you wish to have to win a three-stage shootout. With a stacked container like that, it makes it even greater. force is on, and you have to deliver up.”

That was once the theme of the night time time, the whole technique to the tip.