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Zach LaVine dazzles in convincing Dunk Contest win (Video)

By Phil Watson

Feb 14, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine (left) receives the trophy after winning the 2015 NBA All Star Slam Dunk Contest competition at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 14, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine (left) receives the trophy after winning the 2015 NBA All Star Slam Dunk Contest competition at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Teenager Zach LaVine flew over the rest of the field for a resounding win in the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest Saturday night in Brooklyn.

Zach LaVine of the Minnesota Timberwolves was considered the favorite going into the Slam Dunk Contest during NBA All-Star Saturday Night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The teenager delivered … and then some.

The calls that the Dunk Contest has gotten “boring” were pushed to the background as the contest went back to its original rules—three attempts per dunk, period—and LaVine out-slammed Victor Oladipo of the Orlando Magic to win the title.

The final dunk was a throwdown after teammate Shabazz Muhammad banked the ball off the backboard extension … behind the board.

Oladipo, who missed on his first attempt in the championship round, tried unsuccessfully to get off a one-handed 360 and instead went to a backup dunk, a one-hand windmill after teammate Elfrid Payton banked the ball off the bottom of the glass.

The championship round became anti-climactic when Oladipo missed on his first three attempts, while LaVine’s first dunk in the championship round seemed pedestrian compared to his other three.

LaVine ended the championship round with 94 points from the judges, with only a 9 from Hall of Famer Tiny Archibald preventing him from a perfect 50 on the final dunk.

In the first round, LaVine set the stage with two perfect dunks, a Space Jam slam followed by a behind-the-back tomahawk.

Oladipo came out for his first dunk singing Frank Sinatra’s iconic “New York, New York” and delivered a 540 reverse along the baseline. His second dunk was solid, but lacked some power as he earned a 39 for a first-round total of 89.

Mason Plumlee of the Brooklyn Nets finished the first round with 76 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks had 65 points after missing is first dunk.

LaVine is the first Minnesota Timberwolves player to win the contest since Isaiah Rider in 1994 and is the youngest winner since 18-year-old Kobe Bryant in 1997.

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