3 studs and 0 duds from blowout Utah Jazz win over Nets

In case you’re new here, times have been fairly tough for the Utah Jazz lately. Last night, they may have gotten a little brighter. The Jazz increased their winning streak to 2 last night with a 125-102 drubbing of the Brooklyn Nets.

Granted, the Nets were without both Kevin Durant and James Harden. That’s fine. If any team in the league deserves a health advantage at the moment, it’s the Utah Jazz.

They’ve been fielding lineups featuring borderline rotation players far too often lately. Availability frequently determines outcome in the NBA, particularly in the age of COVID.

Rudy Gobert was still on the sidelines last night, as was his primary backup Hassan Whiteside. The Jazz could have easily justified a loss in this contest.

Luckily, they don’t have to. Here are 3 studs from last night’s action.

Utah Jazz Stud: Udoka Azubuike

So, about those absent big men.

Udoka Azubuike didn’t seem too concerned about them. The second year pro exceeded expectations for the second game in a row. He finished this one with 10 points on 5/8 shooting from the field and 11 rebounds in just 24 minutes.

At 6’10 and 280 lbs, Azubuike is an immovable object in the paint. The Nets mostly went small last night. Azubuike, being anything but small, took advantage.

When the Nets did play a big man, it was rookie Day’Ron Sharpe, and their minutes rarely crossed over. Each head coach seemed to be looking to gain an edge rather than matching their opponent’s strategy.

It didn’t work out for Steve Nash and his Brooklyn Nets. Meanwhile, the Jazz reaped the benefits of Azubuike’s size throughout the game. He dominated the glass and deterred ball handlers from approaching the rim, particularly Kyrie Irving (6/20 from the field).

When Gobert and Whiteside return to action, Azubuike can probably expect to resume a more minimal role. He’s still impressed in the time that he’s been afforded a larger one.