Third time's a charm, right? Not.
Orlando Magic's high-flying forward Aaron Gordon lost in the final round of the 2020 slam dunk contest title Saturday night during NBA All-Star weekend in Chicago. The former Arizona Wildcat lost to Miami Heat guard Derrick Jones Jr. in the final round, and also competed against Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard and Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Connaughton.
The crowd's reaction when they found out AG lost. pic.twitter.com/cIJGHNhZhj
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 16, 2020
"What are we doing, man? Who set the dunk contest up, who set this up? ... It’s a wrap. I feel like I should have two trophies. So it’s over for that," Gordon told the media after the dunk contest.
Gordon, who also came close to winning the slam dunk contest in 2016 and 2017, posted a perfect score of 50 points in his first five attempts of the dunk contest.
His first dunk was a reverse, between-the-legs slam, while the second attempt involved Chicago hip hop artist "Chance the Rapper," who hoisted the ball above his head as Gordon spun 180 degrees and finished with one hand.
Aaron Gordon leaped over @chancetherapper 😮 #ATTSlamDunk pic.twitter.com/HFOEIan7XM
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 16, 2020
In the final round, Gordon used Magic teammate Markelle Fultz, who lobbed the ball off the side of the backboard for Gordon to finish with a one-handed reverse dunk. Once the round went into a dunk-off, Jones' windmill dunk from the free throw line was what crowned the Heat guard the dunk title despite Gordon dunking over 7-foot-5-inch center Tacko Fall. The judges scored Jones a perfect 50 points, but gave Gordon a score of 47.
AG dunked over TACKO!! 😨 #ATTSlamDunk pic.twitter.com/aYM3eMRIPk
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 16, 2020
"A highway robbery has taken place in Chicago," said TNT analyst Reggie Miller during the broadcast.
Gordon wasn't satisfied with the outcome of the dunk contest either.
"What did I get? A 47? Come on, man. What are we doing?" Gordon said. “I did 5 straight 50s. That should be a wrap, it’s over. Who’s running the show?"
Since the dunk contest first started in 1984, an Arizona Wildcat has yet to win the title.
