Utah Jazz: Rubio breaks out of slump as team cruises to win over Pels

Led by Ricky Rubio and Rudy Gobert, the Utah Jazz dominated the Anthony Davis-less New Orleans Pelicans in a blowout victory.

It was supposed to be a matchup between two up-and-coming contenders; a bout featuring two of the most dominant, young big men in the league today. Unfortunately, the showdown between Anthony Davis and Rudy Gobert wasn’t to be seen this time. Davis was ruled out of Saturday’s game due to an elbow strain and, as a result, the Utah Jazz were able to cruise to a 132-111 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Davis has been averaging 27 points, 13 rebounds and nearly four blocks per game early on in the season, and his absence was clearly felt. With or without Davis, though, the Jazz clearly came to this game with something to prove.

The Pelicans entered the matchup as the only undefeated team left in the Western Conference. They have been playing at an incredible pace, placing near the top of the league with a pace of 119, and leading the league by scoring an absurd 128.4 points per game, with an offensive rating 120.1.

Even without Davis, the Pelicans proved to be a tough matchup for the Jazz defense, and they came out swinging. Nikola Mirotic played fantastic in the early going, and helped his team jump out to an early lead. He put up 15 points in the first, and the Pelicans led 31-28 after one.

The Jazz dominated during the second and third periods, however, and they were led by Spanish point guard, Ricky Rubio along with Gobert.

For Rubio, this was a relief. He had really struggled early on in the season, with six-point and six-assist averages. He had only scored a total of 24 points all season, but bounced back with 28 points, 12 assists, and six rebounds in this one. The noticeable difference was in his attacking the basket. Of his five non-3 point field goals, three came at the rim.

Getting to the rim was something Rubio excelled at over the second half of last season, and we’ll have to monitor if this can continue.

Rubio may be the X-factor for the Jazz to becoming a true contender this season. After the game Gobert said of Rubio, “When Ricky plays like that, it’s hard to lose.”

The absence of Davis was felt the most near the rim, as the Jazz were able to consistently finish around the basket without much resistance. No player benefited more from this than Gobert. He finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds, and only missed two shots on the night. That happens when nine of your 11 field goals are dunks.

It seemed as though the Jazz were going to be able to rest their starters the entire fourth quarter, but the Pelicans would give the Jazz a scare late when their bench unit scratched and clawed their way back into the game. Led by Frank Jackson and Cheick Diallo, they cut the lead down to 12 with eight minutes to go.

With the starters back in the game, the Jazz would stretch the lead back to 20 points to put this one away, giving the Pelicans their first loss, and bringing the Jazz to 3-2 on the season.

The Jazz will next face the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, where they will get their first look at sensational rookie, Luka Doncic, who is averaging 19.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assist to start his career.