Last night, Utah won its 8th game in a row, a 113-106 victory over the struggling Chicago Bulls.
Donovan Mitchell led the way with 26, 5 & 3 boards but Rudy Gobert’s dominance on the interior (both offensively & defensively) proved too much to overcome - 19 pts (6/7 shooting) & 13 boards in 32 minutes.
Utah currently sits atop the West at 37-11, 3 games ahead of the second place Phoenix Suns.
Their next slate of games features Orlando, Dallas and the aforementioned Suns: a matchup that could have playoff implications down the road. Last time they faced off was back in December (106-95 W for PHX), a mere 5 games into the season. Now, with both teams vying for the top spot, the stakes are higher.
A few things to look for:
Does Torrey Craig spend time defending both Bojan Bogdanovic & Donovan Mitchell?
Higher bench production: UTA or PHX?
Mike Conley Jr. v. Chris Paul: who controlled the flow of the game?
DeAndre Ayton-Rudy Gobert matchup
Utah’s upcoming slate could extend their lead in the race for best record - how long will the streak last?*
*my prediction: 15 games (4/17 @ LAL)