Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers outright denied a dunk by Kyle Kuzma of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Off a nifty pass from LeBron James, a cutting Kuzma got the ball and quickly rose up for a potential monster jam. However, big man Turner had other ideas.

To be fair with Kuzma, he really had a little to no chance at sneaking in a slam over Turner. After all, midway into the season, the 22-year-old Turner is the league leader in blocks per game with 2.65 swats per night.

Related NewsArticle continues below
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) shoots the ball while Chicago Sky guard Ariel Atkins (7) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton gets 100% real on supporting Caitlin Clark
Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton
Fans can’t believe WWE predicted Tyrese Haliburton, Jalen Brunson ECF

Turner is an early candidate for defensive player of the year according to various analysts. If he doesn't take home the trophy, he'll likely be part of one of the All-NBA Defensive teams.

His defense has been an intrinsic part of the Pacers' success this year. The Pacers are the second-best defensive team in the NBA with a rating of 104.7. Above them are the Milwaukee Bucks, who have a defensive rating of 103.4. With Victor Oladipo — another stellar defensive player — out for the season, we should expect Turner to ramp up his defensive efforts.

The Pacers won the game via a blowout, 136-94. Turner played a great game and finished with 22 points (9-of-12 from the field, 3-of-3 from 3-point distance), one rebound, and four blocks.