How Carter Bryant Dominated But Lost the Dunk Contest

Spurs’ rookie Carter Bryant made his first Dunk Contest appearance after an impressive performance by teammate Stephon Castle last year. Bryant also returned to his home state of California, giving him the support of the crowd. The rookie has seen limited minutes in NBA games but has impressed in the G-League with his mix of defense, shooting and athleticism. How did the 20-year-old forward do?

How Carter Bryant Dominated But Lost the Dunk Contest

First Round Score: 45.6

Getting off to a quick start, Bryant wasted no time traveling from the corner to the basket and throwing down a nasty reverse dunk. The only thing holding his score back was his loose grip on the ball, which caused his slam to be somewhat less impactful. Because he went under the basket, he didn’t reach as high as he could have either. This dunk showed great promise but wasn’t enough to impress the judges. Luckily for him, he finishes with the second most points from the round, as other players either struggled to get off to a hot start or chose dunks that were just too simple.

Second Round Score: 49.2

Unlike the first round, there was a clear best dunk. After hyping up the crowd, Bryant threw down an authoritative windmill jam. Running in from the three-point line, he got a high bounce, and reached his head over the rim while displaying great ball-control. He got several perfect scores from some of the judges, including Dwight Howard and Dominique Wilkins. With no other electrifying dunks at this point, he scored higher in the round than any other player and advanced to the final round.

First Attempt Final Round Score: 50

Sticking to what worked, Carter Bryant gained his first perfect score for a round. Succeeding on his first try, he repeated his dunk from the last round but added a twist: he took the ball between his legs. What made this even more impressive was he got even higher than the last round. Scoring this one was easy, as a panel of legendary judges each gave the dunk a 50. Only one other dunker remained in the competition at this point: the Miami Heat’s Keshad Johnson, who stayed behind Bryant with 49.6.