The Morning Dunk is here once again with more incredible NBA news and highlights to get your Thursday started off right.
Proceed with caution, Warriors faithful.
Warriors Booed On Home Floor In Blowout Loss
Losing can do a number on a franchise, especially one with a championship pedigree and storied history like the Golden State Warriors.
Wednesday night's 141-105 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans was the latest blemish on a season in a free fall as the Warriors are losers of six of their last eight games with the last two coming by a combined 51 points.
The boo birds were once again out in full force at the Chase Center as disgruntled Golden State fans are letting their voices be heard during this ongoing slide.
Boos breaking out at Chase Center (again) 😬 pic.twitter.com/8qeZ1cCqGv
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) January 11, 2024
It's seemingly dirt off of Klay Thompson's (13 points and three 3-pointers against New Orleans) shoulder, though, who brushed off the boos as nothing to be concerned with.
Klay Thompson on fans booing during the last 2 games: “I don’t care. You supposed to lose sleep over it?”
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) January 11, 2024
NOP 141 - GSW 105
TOR 133 - GSW 118
(Via @957thegame) pic.twitter.com/k5I0uOkQV3
Golden State is now 17-20 SU and 12th overall in the Western Conference, while the Pelicans improved to 23-15 SU and are now just 1.5 games out of home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Jazz Giant Killers As Winning Ways Continue
Add the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets to the ever-growing list of elite teams in the Association to have recently fallen at the hands of the surging Utah Jazz.
Jordan Clarkson led all scorers with 27 points off the bench while Lauri Markkanen had 26 of his own in a 124-111 win over the visiting Nuggets at the Delta Center on Wednesday.
The Jazz have beaten Denver, the Milwaukee Bucks, and Philadelphia 76ers during their ongoing three-game winning streak, and are now the only team in NBA history to have beaten three teams in a row with a winning percentage of .650+ by double digits.
Lauri Markkanen throws it DOWN on the break in Utah 💪
— NBA (@NBA) January 11, 2024
📺 Nuggets-Jazz | Live on ESPN pic.twitter.com/vXmkRa2QYF
The Jazz served as the 6.5-point underdogs to Denver and have covered the spread in nine of their last 11 games.
Celtics Need OT To Fend Off Timberwolves
Oddsmakers were perhaps a tad overzealous in handing the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves such terrible odds as the nine-point underdogs against the NBA-best Boston Celtics on Wednesday.
It was uncomfortably close in the end for bettors, but Minnesota still managed to cover amidst the disrespect, albeit in a 127-120 overtime loss at TD Garden.
Jayson Tatum returned to the lineup for Boston and dropped 45 points on Minnesota, and not to be outdone, teammate Jaylen Brown lit up the opposition for 35 points of his own.
The top two teams in the NBA went to BATTLE tonight in an OT thriller! 🍿
— NBA (@NBA) January 11, 2024
Watch the final minutes of regulation and OT as the Celtics and Timberwolves trade buckets and leads before Boston pulls away late, led by a 12-point OT explosion from Jayson Tatum. pic.twitter.com/7IsLVmtUcE
The Celtics remain the only team in basketball with single-digit losses at 29-8 SU and a perfect 18-0 on their home floor. The Timberwolves still hold down the top spot in the West at 26-11 SU, albeit with a mere half-a-game lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
