Takeaways & Player Grades: Chicago Bulls 128, Utah Jazz 126 – January 14, 2026

While I wouldn't telephone tonight's crippled betwixt nan Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz "drunk," I would opportunity it enjoyed itself astatine nan section happy hour.

From a historical first-quarter shooting show to a ridiculous chair performance, this 128-126 win for nan Bulls judge was an entertaining one. Let's talk astir it!

3 Takeaways

The Brice Sensabaugh Explosion

With Lauri Markkanen disconnected nan level tonight, nan Utah Jazz's starting lineup was missing 27 points. Someone was going to person to measurement up and capable nan violative void. Brice Sensabaugh was that personification ... and he astir filled it successful 1 quarter.

The third-year defender came retired pinch energy moving done his veins. He proceeded to sprout 8-9 from nan section for 21 points successful nan opening frame. Yes, you publication that right. Nine of those points came from down nan arc, while nan remainder were each wrong nan overgarment arsenic he easy scored connected Chicago's anemic interior defense. Oh, and did I mention he did it wholly OFF THE BENCH!!!

According to Stathead, this is nan astir a chair subordinate has scored successful nan first 4th since astatine slightest nan 1996-97 campaign. The NBA besides noted that Sensabaugh joins Deron Williams arsenic nan only Jazz subordinate to driblet 20+ successful a azygous quarter.

Sensabaugh would spell into halftime pinch 28 points connected nan committee and group himself up for a career-high 43 points by nan clip nan crippled was done. Nevertheless, Utah simply couldn't drawstring together capable stops and support up pinch nan Bulls' much well-rounded violative attack. They came into nan nighttime allowing nan single-most points per crippled successful nan NBA, and this worked against Sensabaugh during his career-night.

Speaking of which ...

Who Needs Defense?

While Brice Sensabaugh sewage conscionable astir thing he wanted against nan Bulls, nan Jazz defense returned nan favor. Chicago changeable a ridiculous 72.7 percent successful nan first 4th connected their measurement to 36 points. They were 10-11 successful nan restricted area, leaning connected Nikola Vucevic against nan less-experienced and weaker Kyle Filipowski. The Bulls' large man went 5-6 successful nan opening framework for a speedy 11 points.

Reserve large Jalen Smith besides scored 7 of his ain points successful his sensation of first-quarter action, though he did truthful mostly down nan arc. His 2-2 commencement from heavy foreshadowed what would extremity up being a beardown 2nd 4th from downtown for nan Bulls.

Indeed, nan Chicago went 5-9 from region and posted 35 much points successful nan 2nd frame. The Jazz, who scored 39 successful nan first, came backmost down to world pinch a sadistic 8-22 agelong for only 23 points. This meant Chicago entered halftime up 71-62, and they looked well-positioned to return afloat power of nan crippled pinch Sensabaugh yet cooled off.

So, naturally, nan Bulls did nan opposite! They did their champion belief of Utah coming retired of nan locker room, registering a 27.6 percent clip successful nan 3rd quarter. This group fto their 11 triples successful nan first half spell consecutive to their head, arsenic 16 of their 29 section extremity attempts came from nan perimeter. Meanwhile, nan Jazz group their sights connected nan paint. Not only did they feast successful nan restricted area, but they started to consistently unit their measurement to nan kindness stripe.

Knotted up astatine 94-94, we were successful shop for plentifulness much protect breakdowns successful nan 4th quarter! To Chicago's credit, they did a MUCH amended occupation stabilizing their discourtesy and prioritizing nan paint. They played almost wholly done Vucevic, who continued to predominate pinch 16 much points to decorativeness pinch a season-high 31. The Jazz, connected nan different hand, leaned connected nan man who killed nan Bulls successful their past high-scoring meeting.

With nan Bulls connected nan brink of closing things out, Keyonte George many times forced a whistle. He single-handedly produced an 8-0 tally successful a infinitesimal to necktie nan crippled astatine 124 apiece. Seven of those points were scored astatine nan free propulsion line. All nan Bulls needed to do was support their mitts disconnected George. They couldn't.

Nevertheless, it was Utah that would make nan last protect mistake. After Coby White missed nan go-ahead bucket, Isaac Okoro saved nan shot from going retired of bounds. The only problem is that it landed correct successful nan hands of Tre Jones, who was double-teamed and caught connected 1 ft on nan baseline. Fortunately for Chicago, nan discombobulated Jazz defense forgot to support a feline connected Old Man Vooch, and Jones sent an fantabulous one-handed walk to nan large man for nan easy flush.

It was nan benignant of propulsion that would make caller Cubs 3rd baseman Alex Bregman proud!

Thank Goodness for nan Bench

The Chicago Bulls offered up 1 of nan strangest container scores you're ever going to see.

While this squad has had a beardown chair each twelvemonth long, it's not each time that each personnel of nan 2nd portion finishes nan evening successful double figures. Ayo Dosunmu, Patrick Williams, Kevin Huerter, Jalen Smith, and Dalen Terry mixed for 61 of nan Bulls' 128 points. Especially pinch Sensabaugh having a historical night, their expertise to support up offensively proved to beryllium pivotal.

Outside of Vucevic, Chicago's starters were a beautiful large dud. Coby White looked retired of sorts yet again, pinch only 6 points successful his 30 minutes of action. Even much concerning, he turned nan shot complete 5 times. Tre Jones besides followed up his career-high scoring nighttime pinch a specified 7 points, while Buzelis matched him pinch 1 of his astir underwhelming performances successful weeks.

Why nary of these 3 could find occurrence against Utah's bottom-of-the-barrel defense is simply a existent head-scratcher and continues to speak to this team's inconsistency.

Six Chicago Bulls Player Grades

Nikola Vucevic – A
Stats: 35 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST, 2 BLK

Giving Nikola Vucevic an A erstwhile nan Jazz scored 72 points successful nan overgarment feels wrong, but he made up for it connected nan violative extremity and scored nan game-winning bucket. Chicago leaned heavy connected him tonight, and he rewarded them for it.

Ayo Dosunmu – B+
Stats: 15 PTS, 6 AST, 3 STL

The chair leader, Ayo Dosunmu was nan catalyst for overmuch of nan 2nd unit's occurrence pinch his tempo and playmaking. He besides continued his highly businesslike scoring ways pinch a 6-11 nighttime from nan field.

Jalen Smith – B+
Stats: 12 PTS, 10 REB, 1 AST

Jalen Smith is proving to beryllium a difference-maker each and each night. No matter wherever he is successful nan rotation, nan large man is bringing power and immoderate newfound physicality. He changeable astatine slightest 5 free propulsion attempts for nan 2nd consecutive crippled and had his 5th double-double of nan season.

Patrick Williams – B
Stats: 13 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST

As acold arsenic Patrick Williams games go, what much tin you inquire for? The guardant has been 1 of nan team's slightest productive players each play agelong and is caller disconnected his 2nd 0-point outing successful 5 games. Nonetheless, he showed up coming and went 3-3 from downtown and helped support nan wheels successful mobility offensively.

Tre Jones – C+
Stats: 7 PTS, 8 AST, 4 STL

I would person liked to spot Tre Jones transportation complete immoderate of his scoring momentum from past night's career-high showing. This was different awesome opportunity for him to onslaught nan rim pinch confidence. However, I suppose 1 of Jones' champion traits is recognizing erstwhile he tin return a backmost seat. He focused connected his facilitating duties coming and had his 3rd crippled this play pinch 4+ steals.

Coby White – D+
Stats: 6 PTS, 7 AST, 7 REB

I don't counsel anyone property nan panic fastener pinch Coby White. He is very overmuch a rhythm-based player, and this wounded problem has been his force this season. At nan aforesaid time, 6 points connected 2-7 shooting is ... very uncharacteristic.