The NFC and AFC championship games consumed most of our attention over the weekend, but NBA action still stops for no one. The Morning Dunk is here to give you a rundown of what took place throughout the day on Sunday.
Pistons Stun Thunder With Major Upset
See? Sunday wasn't the worst day ever for Detroit sports fans. Well, it kind of was, but let's put a positive spin on things.
In a rather shocking upset, the worst team in the entire Association took down the top squad in the Western Conference when the Detroit Pistons defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder at Little Caesars Arena, 120-104.
Pistons big man Jalen Duren had one of the strongest performances of his young career, finishing with a monster double-double of 22 points and 21 rebounds while adding six assists and a rejection in 31 minutes.
Jalen Duren last night:
— Jack Kelly (@jack_kelly_313) January 29, 2024
22 PTS | 21 REB | 6 AST | 1 BLK
He had career-highs in rebounds & assists, but I was most impressed with his shot selection — man, his footwork on drives & post moves looks fluid. pic.twitter.com/mfrc4hCqFQ
Detroit entered the matchup as the heavy 12.5-point underdogs, which was the largest gap of any game for the day. It was actually the seventh time in eight games it managed to cover the spread, and the second time in six games Oklahoma City failed to do so.
Magic Overcome Booker's 44
All of these recent Devin Booker scoring outbursts are falling to the wayside.
Just days after dropping 62 points in a loss to the Indiana Pacers, Booker managed to put up 44 points for the Phoenix Suns in what was still a blowout 15-point loss at the hands of the Orlando Magic on Sunday.
Booker connected on 17-of-26 from the field in 36 minutes, while the Magic were led by Paolo Banchero's 26 points and seven assists.
Most points in a 2-game span without a win since 1965:
— BrickMuse (@BrickMuse) January 29, 2024
🧱 109 — Devin Booker (2019)
🧱 108 — Bradley Beal (2020)
🧱 106 — Devin Booker (2024)
Via @StatMamba pic.twitter.com/rAgi9s3bnR
The loss was the Suns' second in a row SU following a seven-game winning streak. They're now tied in the win-loss column with the New Orleans Pelicans at 26-20.
Pacers Continue To Find Rhythm Vs. Grizzlies
Mark down three consecutive wins for the Pacers, who are now finding a groove with Pascal Siakam aboard.
Siakam had 19 points, six boards, and six dimes, while Canadian Benedict Mathurin led Indiana with 24 points off the bench in a 116-110 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Bennedict Mathurin, what are we doin'!?!?
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) January 28, 2024
ON HIS HEAD 🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/smJjT23sXl
At the very least on the Grizzlies side, Memphis still managed to cover the spread as the 10.5-point underdogs, improving its record ATS to 5-2 over its last seven games.
