NBA Slam Dunk Contest 2017: Winner, Highlights, Scores and Twitter Reaction

Indiana Pacers forward Glenn Robinson III rode two perfect dunks to a victory in the 2017 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, defeating Derrick Jones Jr. of the Phoenix Suns in the final. 

After Jones was awarded a 50 for his second dunk of the final, giving him a two-dunk total of 87, Robinson knew where the bar was set. He needed just 43 to tie and 44 to win. 

With the pressure on his shoulders, Robinson used three people, including Paul George for a second time, to jump over and execute an awe-inspiring reverse dunk that netted him a perfect score and the victory. 

Thaddeus Young, Robinson's teammate in Indiana, offered a hearty congratulations to the newly crowned Slam Dunk champion:

Candace Buckner of the Washington Post had an idea for Robinson that seems obvious in hindsight:

After his victory, Robinson made a statement about being underestimated throughout his career in an interview with NBA TV's Kristen Ledlow (h/t NBA on Twitter):

Los Angeles Clippers star DeAndre Jordan kicked off the event, enlisting some help from DJ Khaled. With the hip-hop star holding the ball in his left hand and a selfie stick in his right hand, the Clippers center was able to throw it down on his first attempt:

Robinson's first dunk set the tone for his victory. However, it didn't set the tone for the rest of the dunkers, as the big names in the contest struggled to find the right balance between creativity and execution. 

Robinson electrified the crowd with his dunk. He's having his best season as an NBA player, but there's nothing he will do that's better than this:

All five judges awarded Robinson a score of 10 for a perfect 50, all but ensuring his spot in the finals. Rob Perez noted the Pacers star should take a page from his father's book:

Following Robinson was no easy feat, made even more difficult for Jones by the fact he's unknown to most NBA fans. The rookie has only appeared in seven games covering a total of 24 minutes. 

Knowing he needed to introduce himself to the nation, Jones nearly one-upped Robinson by jumping over four people for the slam and a score of 45 from the judges. 

Instead of resting on his laurels, Jones brought the flare for his second attempt with a dazzling alley-oop assist off the side of the backboard that he put between his legs and hammered home. The exclamation point gave him a score of 50 and two-round total of 95. 

The Score summed up what everyone was thinking:

With Robinson setting the bar for creativity, Orlando Magic forward and last year's Slam Dunk Contest runner-up Aaron Gordon brought out a drone to help with his first dunk. He was attempting to execute a between-the-legs dunk after the drone dropped the ball, finally getting it to go on his fourth try. 

Unfortunately, the judges were not impressed. He was only given a score of 38, lowest of the first round, and leaving him with a steep climb to advance. 

Coming back for his second attempt, Gordon again struggled to put the ball in the basket while attempting a 360 slam by putting the ball under both of his legs. He had to settle for a 34 from the judges after missing all of his attempts for a two-round total of 72 and a quick trip to the showers.

Afterward, Gordon told Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel his thought process for this year's dunk contest:

Both big men failed to impress on this night. Jordan's second attempt was executed, but he didn't grab the rim with any kind of authority to really sell it. 

Per ESPN Stats & Info, based on regular-season stats, Jordan should have had a decided advantage over his three competitors:

Robinson's second dunk, just a 360 windmill, was also a letdown after his first attempt. He did have the luxury of knowing scores for his three competitors and didn't have to go all out to reach the final.

In the final, Robinson enlisted the help of George to hold the ball over his head. He pulled it off on the third attempt, though it didn't come close to matching the hype of his first attempt. The judges were lukewarm on it with a score of 44. 

Jones went into Robinson's playbook for his first attempt in the final, using three people to jump over. He kicked the Phoenix Suns cheerleader off the line to try getting his footing after missing the first three attempts, but to no avail for a score of 37. 

Looking to rebound on his second attempt, Jones got one to go in. He jumped from just inside the free-throw line and went between his legs, impressing the judges enough for a perfect score of 50. 

While this dunk contest was a letdown overall, especially coming off the high of last year's back-and-forth battle between Gordon and Zach LaVine of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Robinson and Jones were able to provide enough highlights to salvage it. 

Considering the lack of star power coming into the dunk contest, the show Robinson and Jones put on was better than anticipated. Robinson has bragging rights for the next year, when he will hopefully attempt to defend his crown.