Jazz G Brice Sensabaugh Seizes Opportunity with Career-High

It was the Brice Sensabaugh show in the Utah Jazz win versus the Miami Heat.

Jan 4, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Utah Jazz forward Brice Sensabaugh (28) looks to pas the ball as Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) defends during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Brice Sensabaugh, the second-year wing from Ohio State, had one of the best games of his young career on Saturday night in Miami. The Utah Jazz throttled the Jimmy Butler-less Heat by a score of 136 to 100. Sensabaugh’s 34 points were both a game-high and a career-high, surpassing his previous best by a dozen points. It’s a sign that Sensabaugh is starting to put things together during his sophomore campaign. 

From the time he was drafted, it’s been clear that Sensabaugh can score and score efficiently. That’s what got him drafted in the first round. As with many young players, it took Sendabaugh’s game some time to translate, but that scoring seems to have arrived. 

Brice Sensabaugh was ELECTRIC off the bench for the @utahjazz last night! The @slcstars alum erupted for a career-high 34 points, including a career-high seven threes, in just 28 minutes to help lead the Jazz to a dominant victory over the Heat. 🎷 #GLeagueAlum pic.twitter.com/xlol3nl7wg

— NBA G League (@nbagleague) January 5, 2025

 

Unfortunately for him, injuries have been a problem throughout his young career. Knee surgery kept him from playing in the Summer League and participating in much of the team’s summer program. He spent most of his rookie season in the G-League getting accustomed to the team’s scheme and expectations. He started getting minutes toward the end of the season when the Jazz were in the midst of a 5-25 stretch to end the season. He, along with nearly everyone else, struggled. 

Despite another injury setback over the summer, Sensabaugh came into camp in better shape than he had the year before. This improvement has no doubt helped Sensabaugh advance his game. He is listed at 6’6 and 235 lbs. He uses his size and strength well offensively, bumping guys off their spots on his drives to create space and use his soft touch around the basket. 

He’s also an excellent shooter. After his blistering 7/11 performance from deep versus Miami, Sensabaugh is now shooting 40% from three-point range this season. This is the area that I think will be his most impactful tool as he develops for the Jazz. A knockdown shooter who can provide some secondary creation is a valuable piece and a great outcome for someone the Jazz got with a late first-round draft pick. 

The question for Sensabaugh remains whether he can impact the game outside of scoring. He has made improvements defensively this year. He is never going to be a shutdown defender, but he’ll need to become passable on that end. 

Sensabaugh is averaging 8.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists this year and has carved out a consistent role off of Will Hardy’s bench. With trade season nearing, Sensabaugh could see a bigger role down the season's stretch run, too. It’s nice to see him establishing himself as an NBA player and a possible fixture on the team’s bench going forward. Hopefully, Saturday’s performance was a sign of things to come.

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