Is Miles Bridges' jam on Clint Capela a shoo-in for 'Dunk of the Year'?
There are plenty of awards in the NBA, including those of the unofficial variety.
"Dunk of the Year" falls in the latter category, and Miles Bridges vaulted himself right into the running with a thunderous jam on Clint Capela on Sunday.
Go ahead and take in the New Orleans Pelicans forward's dunk for yourself:
SHEESH.
Just look at how his teammates reacted, both on and off the floor. Devonte' Graham cruised back down the floor with his hands on his head, just like any non-professional witnessing the slam would have done.
Over on the bench, LaMelo Ball's smile was evident, despite his mask.
You know it's a big moment when the team's social media manager can get away with tweeting jibberish, and it's completely understandable.
Bridges' slam against the Atlanta Hawks' center elicited a reaction elsewhere on social media, including some thoughts from other NBA players.
Given the ferocity, Bridges' dunk had some wondering: Is he a sure bet for "Dunk of the Year"?
There's recency bias to consider, so let's not forget about Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Anthony Edwards' flush against Yuta Watanabe of the Toronto Raptors.
That is another fine candidate, no doubt, and Nick Wright acknowledged as much Monday on "First Things First."
However, he said that only "Vinsanity" himself has ever rivaled what he saw Sunday from Bridges.
"Anthony Edwards had an all-time dunk. Miles Bridges had an all-time, in-game dunk."
With about 20 games remaining this season, there's ample time for other contenders to add their entries for "Dunk of the Year," but it'll be tough to crack either of the rim-rockers above.
For the record, despite the dunk, Capela's Hawks got the last laugh with a 105-101 win.
As the Hawks and Hornets jockey for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference, that's arguably the bigger prize.
Arguably.
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