CHICAGO — In one of their best performances of the year, the Utah Jazz stunned what has been a red-hot Chicago Bulls team, 97-77. The second half was particularly brilliant as Utah simply ran its opponent off the court.
Why the Jazz won: In a very ugly first half, the Jazz were simply less ugly than the Bulls. While the 36-32 Utah advantage was not the most aesthetically pleasing, it was a lead nonetheless and set the gritty tone for the second half. From the end of the third quarter throughout the fourth, the Jazz outhustled, outshot, outpassed, outdefended and outplayed the Bulls, who had won 13 of its past 15 games.
Turning point: Bulls guard Tony Snell made a nice layup with two minutes left in the third quarter, cutting the Chicago deficit to seven. From there the Jazz simply turned things up several notches, exploding on a very impressive 22-4 run to seal the game’s outcome. In a true team effort, the players contributed nicely on both ends of the court. The Jazz just stunned the Bulls with their energy and defense, which led to a loose, well-executed offense.
What it means: All of the sudden, the Jazz find themselves the winners in seven of the past 11 games. This span includes road victories in Miami, Memphis and Chicago. Despite being down some key players, Utah is working hard, and the results are very encouraging. Utah head coach Quin Snyder certainly has his team’s attention and it is putting in the effort to become a winner. Moreover, the road success is a very positive sign for a developing team.
Grading the performance: Utah did better than Chicago in nearly every major statistical category, but more importantly, the Jazz showed a tremendous amount of heart. They were not intimidated by a very good, deep Chicago team and it showed. Utah controlled the pace, played with a contagious selflessness and were the aggressors on defense.
Utah Jazz grade: A
Chicago may have looked a bit past the Jazz. The Bulls didn't come out with much urgency and with Utah’s activity defensively, struggled mightily to put points on the board. Bulls stars Jimmy Butler, Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol were subpar. Utah was just the more hungry team.
Chicago Bulls grade: C+
Three telling stats:
— Chicago’s starting backcourt of Rose and Kirk Hinrich shot just 3 of 20 from the floor. Add in the other three starters and the Bulls openers combined to go 13 of 49 — a paltry 26.5 percent.
— Utah won three of the four quarters and held the Bulls to 16, 16 and 19 in the first three.
— The trio of Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors and Trevor Booker snagged 33 rebounds, helping the Jazz to a 48-43 board advantage. Gobert’s five blocked shots only showed a portion of his impact.
Up next: The Jazz continue their mini road trip by taking on Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder Friday. Oklahoma City, now healthy, is making a big push to snag one of the final Western Conference playoff berths.
David Smith provides instant analysis for Deseret News' Utah Jazz coverage. He works for LDS Philanthropies and also writes for Salt City Hoops (ESPN's Jazz affiliate). He can be reached at mechakucha1@gmail.com or on Twitter at davidjsmith1232.