Aaron Gordon at the 2020 dunk contest - SIPA

Miami Heat winger Derrick Jones Jr won on Saturday what could remain the best dunking competition in NBA history, beating Aaron Gordon in the final after a much-criticized vote. From the first round, the competition, organized on the occasion of the All-Star Game weekend, reached a very high level, driven by the two future finalists, who made dunks never seen before in this context.

The other two participants, Dwight Howard (Los Angeles Lakers) and Pat Connaughton (Milwaukee Bucks), despite honorable achievements, were quickly outclassed by the two rockets Derrick Jones Jr and Aaron Gordon (Orlando Magic).

From his first dunk, the winger of the Magic made a 180 ° inverted Rider (turn around on himself and passage of the ball between the legs from back to front), which earned him a 50, the maximum score.

In total, Aaron Gordon has chained five 50s, including three in the final, unheard of in the history of the competition. With an improbable one-handed dunk.

I'm Gordon. pic.twitter.com/AWatj6zb6S

- Mary Patrux (@MaryPatrux) February 16, 2020

Not intimidated, Derrick Jones Jr replied to him with an inverted Rider on 360 ° inverted (turn on himself on the side of his weak arm and inverted Rider), which allowed him to also take down a 50. The result was a mano a mano of exceptional density, that only could approach the major contests in history, mainly 1988, 2000 and 2016.

Already in 2016

Rider over two people (Jones), jump over the artist Chance the Rapper with 180 ° behind (Gordon), Rider over an accomplice after bounce on the board (Jones), nothing seemed to be able to decide between the two men, who hovered at an unprecedented altitude.

After two 50 each in the final, they had to resort to two additional dunks for the jury to choose a winner.

To everyone's surprise, despite a last dunk above the Celtics giant Tacko Fall (2.26 m), Aaron Gordon lost by one point, Derrick Jones Jr winning over a mill with appeal just after the line of throws.

" This is theft! "Said Kenny Smith, one of the consultants of the TNT cable channel, which broadcast the event in the United States, recalling that Aaron Gordon had already failed in the final on a very controversial decision, in 2016.

The dunks competition closed an evening which also included the three-point shooting competition and the Skills Challenge, a skills and speed competition.

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