Tuesday is for tacos, of course, but Tuesday is also for NBA news and highlights with The Morning Dunk.
Jazz Dismantle Struggling Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks' equipment manager really needs to step their game up.
Just days after Giannis Antetokounmpo called out everyone from his teammates and head coach to the equipment manager for the team's losing ways, the Bucks responded by putting up one of their worst efforts of the 2023-24 campaign in a blowout 132-116 loss to the Utah Jazz.
Six players on the Jazz scored in double figures, with Utah owning a commanding 77-46 lead at halftime to help put this one away early.
To rub salt in the wound, the Jazz's social media team then posted a video of their own equipment manager on X to celebrate the victory.
This is Jazz equipment manager Adam Klauke... after the Jazz beat the Bucks 132-116. https://t.co/Ea4zomGXqr
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) January 9, 2024
The Bucks were without the services of superstar point guard Damian Lillard due to personal reasons but were still the 8.5-point favorites on their home floor. They drop to 1-5 in their last six games ATS and are now losers of four of their last five games SU.
Untimely Foul Costs Celtics Vs. Pacers
Whoopsie.
With the score locked at 131 apiece with just two seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis fouled Indiana Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin on a 3-point attempt just before time expired.
The call was upheld following an official review, with Mathurin converting his first two free throws before intentionally missing the third to seal a 133-131 win for Indiana.
Bennedict Mathurin in a 133-131 win vs. the Celtics : 26 points on 8-15 shooting, 5-9 from 3, 5-7 from the FT line, 4 rebounds, 3 assists & 2 steals in 29 minutes off the bench (Made 2 go-ahead FT's with 0.6 seconds left after he got fouled by Kristaps Porzingis) pic.twitter.com/5by2JiQxVK
— Lee Harvey (@MusikFan4Life) January 9, 2024
The victory was bittersweet for the Pacers, as they lost All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton in the second quarter to a hamstring injury after an awkward slip on the hardwood.
Indiana is now 7-1 SU in its last eight games with an identical record during that span against the spread. The loss for Boston (who were sans Jayson Tatum on this night), meanwhile, was just its second SU since Dec. 20.
Clippers Handle Suns ... Again
It's Groundhog Day for the Phoenix Suns, because they could have sworn they just lost to the Los Angeles Clippers not that long ago.
It's probably because the did. For the second time in five days, the Clippers scored at least 130 points on the defensively-inept Suns with a dominating 138-111 win at Crypto.com Arena on Monday.
Los Angeles got a combined 63 points out of its Big Three of Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and James Harden, while Phoenix was led by Kevin Durant's 30 points on 17 shots.
"Nothing you can do about it. Kawhi digging in his bag."
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) January 9, 2024
Clippers beat the Suns by 27 and for the 2nd time in 5 days. pic.twitter.com/lvpIjs3jxA
The spread continues to be an Achilles Heel for the Suns, who are now 4-16 ATS over their last 20 games after serving as the 6.5-point underdogs against Los Angeles. The Clippers are on an opposite trajectory on that front, improving to 5-1 ATS over their last six outings.
