Takeaways & Player Grades: Chicago Bulls 128, Utah Jazz 126

While I wouldn't call tonight's game between the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz "drunk," I would say it enjoyed itself at the local happy hour.

From a historic first-quarter shooting display to a ridiculous bench performance, this 128-126 win for the Bulls sure was an entertaining one. Let's talk about it!

3 Takeaways

The Brice Sensabaugh Explosion

With Lauri Markkanen off the floor tonight, the Utah Jazz's starting lineup was missing 27 points. Someone was going to have to step up and fill the offensive void. Brice Sensabaugh was that someone ... and he nearly filled it in one quarter.

The third-year guard came out with electricity running through his veins. He proceeded to shoot 8-9 from the field for 21 points in the opening frame. Yes, you read that right. Nine of those points came from behind the arc, while the rest were all inside the paint as he easily scored on Chicago's weak interior defense. Oh, and did I mention he did it entirely OFF THE BENCH!!!

According to Stathead, this is the most a bench player has scored in the first quarter since at least the 1996-97 campaign. The NBA also noted that Sensabaugh joins Deron Williams as the only Jazz player to drop 20+ in a single quarter.

Sensabaugh would go into halftime with 28 points on the board and set himself up for a career-high 43 points by the time the game was done. Nevertheless, Utah simply couldn't string together enough stops and keep up with the Bulls' more well-rounded offensive attack. They came into the night allowing the single-most points per game in the NBA, and this worked against Sensabaugh during his career-night.

Speaking of which ...

Who Needs Defense?

While Brice Sensabaugh got just about anything he wanted against the Bulls, the Jazz defense returned the favor. Chicago shot a ridiculous 72.7 percent in the first quarter on their way to 36 points. They were 10-11 in the restricted area, leaning on Nikola Vucevic against the less-experienced and weaker Kyle Filipowski. The Bulls' big man went 5-6 in the opening frame for a quick 11 points.

Reserve big Jalen Smith also scored 7 of his own points in his taste of first-quarter action, though he did so largely behind the arc. His 2-2 start from deep foreshadowed what would end up being a strong second quarter from downtown for the Bulls.

Indeed, the Chicago went 5-9 from distance and posted 35 more points in the second frame. The Jazz, who scored 39 in the first, came back down to earth with a brutal 8-22 stretch for only 23 points. This meant Chicago entered halftime up 71-62, and they looked well-positioned to take full control of the game with Sensabaugh finally cooled off.

So, naturally, the Bulls did the opposite! They did their best impression of Utah coming out of the locker room, registering a 27.6 percent clip in the third quarter. This group let their 11 triples in the first half go straight to their head, as 16 of their 29 field goal attempts came from the perimeter. Meanwhile, the Jazz set their sights on the paint. Not only did they feast in the restricted area, but they started to consistently force their way to the charity stripe.

Knotted up at 94-94, we were in store for plenty more defensive breakdowns in the fourth quarter! To Chicago's credit, they did a MUCH better job stabilizing their offense and prioritizing the paint. They played almost entirely through Vucevic, who continued to dominate with 16 more points to finish with a season-high 31. The Jazz, on the other hand, leaned on the man who killed the Bulls in their last high-scoring meeting.

With the Bulls on the brink of closing things out, Keyonte George repeatedly forced a whistle. He single-handedly produced an 8-0 run in a minute to tie the game at 124 apiece. Seven of those points were scored at the free throw line. All the Bulls needed to do was keep their mitts off George. They couldn't.

Nevertheless, it was Utah that would make the final defensive mistake. After Coby White missed the go-ahead bucket, Isaac Okoro saved the ball from going out of bounds. The only problem is that it landed right in the hands of Tre Jones, who was double-teamed and caught on one foot along the baseline. Fortunately for Chicago, the discombobulated Jazz defense forgot to keep a guy on Old Man Vooch, and Jones sent an excellent one-handed pass to the big man for the easy flush.

It was the kind of throw that would make new Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman proud!

Welcome to Chicago, Alex Bregman!

Thanks for pulling up tonight 🫡 pic.twitter.com/IsNfPct6uG
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 15, 2026

Thank Goodness for the Bench

The Chicago Bulls offered up one of the strangest box scores you're ever going to see.

While this team has had a strong bench all year long, it's not every day that every member of the second unit finishes the evening in double figures. Ayo Dosunmu, Patrick Williams, Kevin Huerter, Jalen Smith, and Dalen Terry combined for 61 of the Bulls' 128 points. Especially with Sensabaugh having a historic night, their ability to keep up offensively proved to be pivotal.

Outside of Vucevic, Chicago's starters were a pretty big dud. Coby White looked out of sorts yet again, with only 6 points in his 30 minutes of action. Even more concerning, he turned the ball over five times. Tre Jones also followed up his career-high scoring night with a mere 7 points, while Buzelis matched him with one of his most underwhelming performances in weeks.

Why none of these three could find success against Utah's bottom-of-the-barrel defense is a real head-scratcher and continues to speak to this team's inconsistency.

Six Chicago Bulls Player Grades

Nikola Vucevic of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 14, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) drives to the basket against Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski (22) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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

Giving Nikola Vucevic an A when the Jazz scored 72 points in the paint feels wrong, but he made up for it on the offensive end and scored the game-winning bucket. Chicago leaned heavily on him tonight, and he rewarded them for it.

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

The bench leader, Ayo Dosunmu was the catalyst for much of the second unit's success with his tempo and playmaking. He also continued his highly efficient scoring ways with a 6-11 night from the field.

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

Jalen Smith is proving to be a difference-maker each and every night. No matter where he is in the rotation, the big man is bringing energy and some newfound physicality. He shot at least 5 free throw attempts for the second straight game and had his fifth double-double of the season.

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

As far as Patrick Williams games go, what more can you ask for? The forward has been one of the team's least productive players all season long and is fresh off his second 0-point outing in five games. Nonetheless, he showed up tonight and went 3-3 from downtown and helped keep the wheels in motion offensively.

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

I would have liked to see Tre Jones carry over some of his scoring momentum from last night's career-high showing. This was another great opportunity for him to attack the rim with confidence. However, I suppose one of Jones' best traits is recognizing when he can take a back seat. He focused on his facilitating duties tonight and had his third game this season with 4+ steals.

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

I don't advise anyone press the panic button with Coby White. He is very much a rhythm-based player, and this injury trouble has been his enemy this season. At the same time, 6 points on 2-7 shooting is ... very uncharacteristic.