Ryan Anderson’s big dunk should get him back on track

After being in a shooting slump for what seems like forever, Ryan Anderson‘s big game against the Suns should get him back on track.

Ryan Anderson came up with a big game in the Rockets win against the Phoenix Suns on Friday.

The 29-year-old had 18 points and 7 rebounds and he made four of his seven 3-point shots. It was Anderson’s highest scoring game and the first time he’s made more than two 3-pointers in an outing since Dec. 7.

Before Friday night, Anderson had been in one of the worst slumps in his career. Over his last 17 games, he was averaging just 6.9 points on 33.9 percent shooting from the floor and 24.7 percent shooting from 3-point range. Anderson even had two consecutive games where he failed to score a single point.

The made 3-pointers weren’t surprising, but his big jam early in the fourth quarter caught everyone by surprise. Ryan Anderson blew by his defender on the perimeter, set his feet, and threw down an absolutely thunderous dunk on 7’1″ Alex Len. It was easily Ryno’s best play of the season, and everyone from the commentators to the Rockets bench got a kick out of it.

Alex Len, welcome to your Kodak moment! Ryan Anderson babyyy ???? #Rockets https://t.co/TMpAS0sIiB

— Space City Scoop (@SpaceCity_Scoop) January 13, 2018

Gerald Green, who is extremely athletic and is a former NBA slam dunk contest champion, was pleasantly surprised by Anderson’s poster dunk, via the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen.

“It’s a joy to watch him play. He’s very talented. That shocked me that he was that athletic. Now, I expect more of that from him.”

Despite Anderson’s slump, he is still shooting 37.3 percent from 3-points range this season and his field goals percentage is close to his career average. Anderson continues to excel on the road, as he is making 40.1 percent of his 3-pointers on away games compared to just 33.3 percent at home.

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Houston had just eight available players on Friday night, so they have little room for inconsistent play. The Rockets are counting on Ryan Anderson to knock down his open looks. His big dunk in Phoenix should give him a lot of confidence and get him out of his rut.