Timberwolves Defeat Jazz, 118-108: Four Takeaways

Rudy Gobert get the best of the Utah Jazz in his homecoming.

Rudy Gobert scored 22 points while grabbing 13 rebounds in his return to Salt Lake City as the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Utah Jazz, 118-108.

Malik Beasley led the Jazz with 23 points in a losing cause. What did we learn in Utah’s 13th loss of the season? 

Let’s break it down.

Walker Kessler Struggles Against Gobert

There’s been a lot of chatter about the emergence of Kessler lately, but Gobert showed why he’s a three-time All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year. Kessler struggled with foul trouble early and finished the game with zero blocks. 

Kessler has a huge ceiling but has a ways to go if he wants to be mentioned in the same conversation as Gobert.

Jazz Catching the Injury Bug

It was one step forward but two steps back in regard to injuries for Utah. Veteran Mike Conley played well after a nine-game absence but Lauri Markkanen (illness) and Collin Sexton (hamstring) were unavailable. 

Markkanen is listed as day-to-day, and Sexton will be reevaluated next week. The losses are going to start piling up if Utah can’t play close to full strength. The Jazz wins the game, most likely, if Markkanen suits up.

Rudy Gay Still Struggling

Gay getting minutes at this stage is just charity work. The 36-year-old veteran scored three points on 1-for-7 shooting with zero assists in 17 minutes of action. 

Head coach Will Hardy has sat the younger players for less-than-stellar play in the past, but for some reason, Gay continues to get a pass. Father Time has caught up to Gay, and at this point, there’s nothing that he brings to the table but taking minutes that the younger players could use to develop.

Conley Shows Why He’s Been Missed

There’s still a lot of gas in the tank despite this being Conley’s 15th year in the league. Conley scored 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting and didn’t miss a beat when running the offense. 

Conley was on a minute restriction and only logged 24 minutes on the court, and we’ll see how his knee responds by how much he plays on Saturday night. Conley’s health moving forward is vital if Utah has any type of playoff aspirations.

It’s a quick turnaround as Utah goes on the road to face the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night. Tip-off is at 7:00 pm MDT.

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