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Aaron Gordon took his 2020 dunk contest loss very hard. Three years later, he’s finally getting revenge.
Gordon had a huge Game 4 for the Denver Nuggets against the Miami Heat, the organization responsible for allegedly rigging the 2020 Slam Dunk Contest for Derrick Jones Jr. The Nuggets forward had a game-high 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including 3-of-4 from behind the arc.
Gordon also dished six assists and grabbed a steal and was +29 in just under 42 minutes.
The performance had to feel extra sweet because it happened in front of Heat legend Dwyane Wade, who allegedly gave Gordon a score of “9” after he dunked over 7-foot-5 Tacko Fall, allowing his teammate Jones to win.
The loss clearly stung Gordon. When the Orlando Magic traded him to Denver a year later, Gordon changed his jersey number to No. 50 — the perfect score in a dunk contest. He also made a music video for a song about the loss, called “9 Out Of 10.”
Gordon is Denver’s best defensive player, and he led an impressive effort in South Beach. The Nuggets held the Heat under 100 points in both contest in Miami, with Gordon logging a game-high +16 in that game. Even in this game, when Gordon left in the first quarter with 2:11 left, Miami closed the quarter on a 10-2 run.
And we don’t think it’s a coincidence that after the Heat showed Wade on the video board after the first quarter, Gordon really went off. For the final three quarters, he made 11 of his 13 shots and scored 26 points while grabbing seven rebounds.
Gordon might never win a dunk contest. He’ll have to settle for an NBA title instead.
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