Sensabaugh Career-High Not Enough As Jazz Fall To Bulls
Mar 6, 2024, 10:22 PM | Updated: Mar 7, 2024, 2:48 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – Rookie Brice Sensabaugh recorded his first career double-double but it wasn’t enough as the Utah Jazz fell to the Chicago Bulls 119-117.
Sensbaugh scored 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while John Collins led the Jazz with 25 points in the loss.
DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 29, including 17 points in the fourth quarter.
Jazz Sensabaugh Shines In First Start Vs. Bulls
With Lauri Markkanen (quad), Walker Kessler (foot), Taylor Hendricks (toe), and Keyonte George (illness) all missing Wednesday’s game, Sensabaugh got his first start and made the most of his 30 minutes on the floor.
The rookie set a new career-high scoring eight points in his first seven minutes before finishing with 15 to end the game.
Sensabaugh shot an efficient 5-8 from the floor including 2-4 from the three-point line and 3-3 from the free-throw line.
the rook’s lookin’ 𝚒𝚌𝚢 early 🥶 pic.twitter.com/WKSniiVnlN
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 7, 2024
The Ohio State product also added 12 rebounds, besting his previous career high of three.
In addition to his strong knack for scoring in college, Sensabaugh was a talented rebounder averaging 5.4 boards in 24.5 minutes per game.
“I was happy with his defensive rebounding tonight,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “That’s been a big emphasis for him is participating in all the things that aren’t scoring.”
Sensabaugh also showed a knack for scoring off the dribble, repeatedly attacking the Bulls defense with the ball in his hands.
starting to feel bad for the rim at this point… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/S1hW1RLqYe
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 7, 2024
“He had a couple of nice drives with some physicality,” Hardy added.
The 20-year-old has spent most of his time with the Jazz as a spot-up three-point shooter this season, but with the numerous injuries plaguing the team, he was able to flash his scoring potential.
How often Sensabaugh will be able to show off his full offensive repertoire for the rest of the season may depend on how quickly his injured teammates return to the floor, but it was an intriguing taste of his potential.
John Collins, Bulls Assistant Coach Get Into Tussle
In one of the stranger altercations of the season Jazz forward John Collins got into a small shoving match with Bulls assistant coach Chris Fleming.
In the final seconds of the Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton fouled DeRozan to send him to the free-throw line.
Sexton continued to hold onto DeRozan after the foul in front of the Bulls bench, drawing the ire of the injured Torrey Craig.
Several players including Collins gathered around the pairing as the Bulls assistant appeared to push the Jazz forward away from the altercation.
Utah Jazz forward John Collins and Chicago Bulls assistant coach Chris Fleming went at it on the sideline 😳 pic.twitter.com/buJvTn1u3U
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) March 7, 2024
After Collins wiped away the Bulls assistant’s hand, the two began pushing one another, with the Jazz big man stiffarming Fleming at the neck.
Craig, Collins, and Fleming were assessed technical fouls, though nobody was ejected.
The shoving match cost the Bulls a point after Clarkson knocked the technical free-throw, tying the game at 117.
DeRozan proceeded to knock down his two free-throws, and a pair of three-pointers from Clarkson and Sexton rimmed out as the Jazz fell to the Bulls.
Jazz Standings Watch
With Wednesday’s loss to the Bulls, the Jazz fell to 28-35 on the season.
Teamed with an Atlanta Hawks win over the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Jazz now own the 10th-worst record in the NBA, a half-game back of the Hawks in the league standings.
If the Jazz finish the season with the 10th-worst record in the NBA they would have nearly an 80 percent chance of holding onto their first round pick, rather than conveying it to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
If they were to finish 11th, their odds of holding onto the pick would plummet to less than 10 percent.
The Jazz nearly ended the night with the ninth-worst record in the NBA, but the Houston Rockets blew a double-digit fourth quarter lead and fell to the Los Angeles Clippers 122-116.
The Rockets are a half-game back of the Jazz in the standings with a record of 27-35.
Utah Jazz Next Broadcast
The Jazz will face the Nuggets on Saturday at 7 pm MST in Denver. The game will be televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+, and can be heard on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops or on Instagram @BensHoops.
