Jaxson Hayes Misses Dunk Contest Finals After Underwhelming Performance

Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes had an "underwhelming showing" in the 2026 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, narrowly missing the finals by one point. His first dunk, a basic slam after a miscalculation, earned the lowest first-round score of 44.6. Hayes improved with a self-toss, between-the-legs dunk for 47.2 points on his second attempt. However, his total of 91.8 points placed him third, preventing him from advancing to the final round won by Keshad Johnson.