Photo: San Antonio Spurs/X

Carter Bryant came close to winning Saturday’s Slam Dunk Contest but was unable to finish his final attempt, a reverse dunk off the backboard, before time ran out, forcing him to complete a simpler dunk at the buzzer.

The missed opportunity proved costly for the rookie forward, especially after he earned perfect 50 scores from all judges on his first dunk of the finals, an impressive between-the-legs slam off the bounce.

Reflecting on the moment afterward, Bryant acknowledged how close he was to securing the title.

“If I put that dunk down, I win it,” Bryant told Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link).

“That’s probably the dunk I’ve made the most out of all the dunks I did today in my life. I’ve been doing that dunk since I’ve been 14. Just didn’t get the ball. Didn’t roll my way.”

Bryant has played 1 season for the San Antonio Spurs. He has averaged 3.4 points in 43 regular-season games.

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