DENVER Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon went flying during a Christmas Day victory win over the Phoenix Suns.
Gordon helped the Nuggets secure a 128-125 win with an outrageous dunk near the end of overtime.
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The matchup between the Nuggets and Suns capped off the NBA's Christmas Day schedule.
And the two Western Conference powerhouses didn't disappoint as both teams overcame double-digit deficits before taking the game to overtime.
The drama started early on as Phoenix lost shooting guard Devin Booker to a groin injury in the first quarter.
Booker's exit made for a huge blow, particularly as the Suns were going up against two-time MVP Nikola Jokic — who's been in otherworldly form since the start of the month.
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The Serbian center would finish the night with 41 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists to log his seventh triple-double of the season — and record a 40/15/15 triple-double for just the fourth time in NBA history.
But Gordon eventually stole the show on one of the last plays of the game.
As the Suns' Landry Shamet missed a 3-pointer that would have reclaimed the lead for Phoenix, Gordon collected the rebound and bolted down the court with just under 30 seconds left in overtime.
He then planted his left foot right at the edge of the paint, about 15 feet away from the rim, before taking a giant leap and going skyward off his right leg — despite Shamet standing in his way, trying to draw a charge.
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As he was rapidly ascending, Gordon made contact with Shamet, and the impact sent the Suns guard flying backward.
But the Nuggets star didn't collect an offensive foul as, after review, the officials would rule Shamet was still in motion during the dunk.
Gordon then tweaked his handle mid-air and switched the ball to his right hand before finishing the play with a vicious slam.
The former No. 4 pick nearly won the Slam Dunk Contest during the 2016 and 2020 All-Star Weekend.
But the 27-year-old has said his Christmas Day dunk is the best he's ever had.
''Because of the time and score," Gordon explained after the game.
Meanwhile, Jokic made a joke about his co-star's play — which the Serbian had watched from about a foot away.
''I was open,'' Jokic quipped.
