It was an evening of high-scoring affairs on Wednesday in the NBA, as for the first time in league history, five different teams scored at least 140 points in a game.
Today's edition of The Morning Dunk has all of the news and highlights to start your day off right.
Jazz Survive Pistons In OT Scorefest
If you took the OVER in what first appeared to be an uninteresting, nothing basketball game, then boy are you waking up with a smile on your face.
The Utah Jazz were ever so close to handing the Detroit Pistons just their fourth victory of the 2023-24 campaign, and while it took an extra five minutes, Utah ultimately prevailed in a blazing 154-148 win.
Everybody was hooping in Pistons-Jazz 🔥 pic.twitter.com/IFx6ZLnlJY
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 4, 2024
Pistons veteran guard Alec Burks forced the extra period with a last-second, buzzer-beating 3-pointer which stunned fans at the Delta Center.
WILD ENDING TO REGULATION IN PISTONS-JAZZ 😱
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 4, 2024
ALEC BURKS SENDS IT TO OVERTIME‼️ pic.twitter.com/CFjp4N59HA
The OVER/UNDER was initially set at 238.5 points, and while the Pistons are now just 3-31 SU for the season, they're a respectable 22-12 in O/U.
Pacers Have Bucks' Number
Death, taxes, and the Indiana Pacers defeating the Milwaukee Bucks with a buttload of points.
For the fourth time in five attempts, including a matchup in the In-Season Tournament, the Pacers have once again beaten the Bucks after dropping 142 points in a 12-point victory to easily cover as the 3.5-point underdogs.
Indiana has scored at least 122 points in each of its five games against Milwaukee, and now accounts for 40% of the Bucks' losses for the season.
Giannis on losing to the Pacers four times this season 😂
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) January 4, 2024
"You think about it. When you go home and sleep and wake up, you think about it… When you're about to get freaky at night, you think about it."
(via: @nathanmarzion)
pic.twitter.com/4c8QftcWvo
The Pacers improved to 5-1 in their last six games ATS, while the loss was just the Bucks' third ATS in 11 games on the road.
Hawks End Thunder's Winning Streak
The red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder were riding a wave of momentum, but the Atlanta Hawks put an immediate halt to it on Wednesday.
The Hawks had four different players score 20 or more points, led by a career-best 28 points and four steals from Jalen Johnson, in a hard-fought 141-138 victory over Oklahoma City.
Jalen Johnson dropped a CAREER-HIGH 28 PTS in the Hawks' win over the Thunder 💪 pic.twitter.com/k4b8PrucGU
— NBA (@NBA) January 4, 2024
The defeat ended the Thunder's five-game winning streak, which included wins over some of the NBA's elite in the Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, and Boston Celtics.
