Flight Sims: Knicks' Big Man Places 3rd to Mac McClung in Slam Dunk Contest

While Sims was no match for the slamming sensation from Delaware, the New York Knicks' interior threat had a respectable showing in his first go at it.

Jericho Sims tried to be judge, jury, and dunker during his first appearance in the NBA's slam showcase. 

The New York Knicks' center came up with one of the more creative concepts during the NBA's 2023 Slam Dunk Contest at Vivint Arena on Saturday night. Sims let his famed vertical speak for him during both of his attempts, lifting himself above the rim, even up to his elbows in front of the five-judge panel. 

Jericho Sims forearms went in the rim 😱 pic.twitter.com/dBYNdD1TPm

— Big Knick Energy (@BigKnickEnergy_) February 19, 2023

Alas for New York, that wasn't enough to impress the group featuring Hall of Famers Lisa Leslie, Karl Malone, and Dominique Wilkins, Sixth Man legend Jamal Crawford, and two-time winner Harold Miner. Sims' two dunks combined for a respectable 95.4 but that was 0.6 points short of advancement, falling to New Orleans' Trey Murphy III and the night's star attraction, G League star turned Philadelphia 76er Mac McClung. 

Sims tried to do the judges' jobs for them during his second dunk: after the slam, he held onto the rim and pulled down an envelope he had clipped to the net. A piece of paper inside revealed a perfect score of 50, but the judges refused to comply, leaving Sims with a final tally of 47.8. Malone was particularly harsh, bestowing Sims a 45 and allowing Murphy's reverse windmill to buy his way into the final against McClung. 

Jericho Sims gets a 47.8 on his second dunk

(via @TheKnicksWall) pic.twitter.com/WSabT7XUux

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) February 19, 2023

It was McClung, a G League standout with two NBA games to his name, that stole the show on Saturday, as three of his four dunks earned the 50 that Sims desired. For his final act, McClung donned his high school jersey, that of Gate City (VA), where he originally became nationally renowned for his dunking antics. McClung becomes the first Philadelphia representative to take home the Dunk Contest hardware named after 76ers legend Julius Erving. The Georgetown/Texas Tech alum succeeds Sims' fellow Knick Obi Toppin as the Dunk Contest champion.

Sims finished third in the dunk standings, managing to best Houston's Kenyon Martin Jr. 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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