3 studs and 1 dud from Utah Jazz win over Bulls

The Utah Jazz surprised us last night. We’d predicted a Bulls win, but also expected a tight game in either direction. All of which is to say, we weren’t expecting a Jazz blowout.

That’s exactly what we got. The Jazz came away with a 125-110 victory over a healthy (minus Lonzo Ball) Chicago Bulls team last night.

It was a comprehensive team effort. Realistically, this article could be 5 studs and 1 dud. We’re just not optimistic that you’d read until the end.

Instead, we’ll quickly note that Nickeil Alexander-Walker had his best game in a Jazz uniform, finishing with 16 points on 4/8 shooting from the field and 3/5 shooting from downtown.

Mike Conley was also his usual, reliable self, finishing with 14 points and 7 assists. We knew that funk was nothing to worry about.

Still, there were some particularly special performances last night. Here are 3 studs and 1 dud from this contest.

Utah Jazz stud: Rudy Gobert

Rudy Gobert went about his business in typical Rudy Gobert fashion last night. In other words, he finished with 14 points, 20 rebounds and 4 blocks.

In theory, Bulls center Nikola Vucevic should have drawn Gobert from the paint to the perimeter. At times, he did. Given that he finished 0/6 from downtown, it wasn’t a major issue.

Gobert still managed to dominate the interior. Last night’s performance lent credence to the idea that Gobert may have learned from last year’s playoffs. He was able to close out Vooch’s three-point attempts while also doubling back for paint duty.

These Jazz may have some worries in 2021-22. Rudy Gobert is not one of them.