The Morning Dunk: Lakers Continue To Slide

It's a buffet of NBA news and highlights on today's edition of The Morning Dunk with a healthy dose of Los Angeles food for thought and a Joel Embiid 51-piece sprinkled on top.

Lakers Stumble Again

Winning the in-augural NBA Cup warranted a banner at Crypto.com Arena, but it's been one big downward spiral for the Los Angeles Lakers ever since.

Any momentum garnered from winning the In-Season Tournament is long gone as the Lakers lost their third game in a row and fourth of their last fifth on Wednesday night, falling 124-108 to the Chicago Bulls.

LeBron James finished just shy of a triple-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists, while Austin Reaves contributed 21 points of his own off the bench.

LeBron James says fatigue is hitting the Lakers from all angles. The team has spent 18 of the last 27 days on the road and will close out 2023 by spending six of the next 11 days away from home, too. pic.twitter.com/bXC45qxm6z
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 21, 2023

The Lakers failed to cover the spread as the four-point favorites and are now 1-5 ATS across their last six games.

Clippers Continue To Thrive

While one Los Angeles team falters, the other finds itself ascending the standings like no other squad in the Association.

Make it nine-straight victories for the red-hot Los Angeles Clippers after they handled the Dallas Mavericks 120-111 on Wednesday. It's the longest winning streak in basketball, having pushed the Clippers to the fourth seed in the Western Conference with a 17-10 SU record.

Kawhi Leonard registered his eighth game of 30 or more points on the season, while James Harden achieved a double-double of 17 points and 11 dimes in 39 minutes of action.

THE SPIN. THE EURO. THE BENCH REACTION.

Kawhi Leonard, ladies and gents. pic.twitter.com/FHndUS1jRY
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) December 21, 2023

The Clippers now have the fifth-best odds to capture the NBA title next year at +1200.

Embiid Goes For 51

You know you're on another level offensively when the NBA's top defensive unit can't slow you down in the slightest.

Joel Embiid lit up the Minnesota Timberwolves to the tune of 51 points and 12 rebounds at the Wells Fargo Center, sending Minnesota to just its sixth defeat as the Philadelphia 76ers prevailed 127-113.

Embiid is the first player since 1972 (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) to register 12-straight games with at least 30 points and 12 rebounds, and the fifth player (Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, and Walt Bellamy) to accomplish that at all.