Rudy Gobert returned to Utah’s lineup after missing the last 9 games with a calf injury.
The pillar of Utah’s defense, Rudy Gobert, was back in the paint for Monday’s 135-101 drubbing of the Houston Rockets. He finished with 14 points (on 7-for-8 shooting) and had seven rebounds and a block in 22 minutes before being ejected in the fourth quarter.
“I was antsy. … I couldn’t wait to get back on the court and be a part of what our team is doing now,” Gobert said. Though Gobert was ejected with his second technical foul with 6:33 to play, the Jazz were a plus-19 in the 22 minutes he was on the court.
The Jazz announced Monday that Gobert had been cleared and made available an hour before tipoff after he missed nine consecutive games with a left calf strain. Between that and a previous five-game absence, Utah went 6-8 without Gobert manning the middle, though they entered Monday night on a five-game win streak.
Game Recap: Jazz 135, Rockets 101
But with Gobert’s return, the Jazz had their regular starting lineup for the first time in 13 games. That group has a record of 23-8 this season.
The Jazz defense fell from the top five into tatters early on without the big Frenchman, but the Jazz learned to play without him and held teams in check during the homestand.
“Our energy is different. I feel like something happened within our team. In that slump that we had … it really sparked something. I feel like we’re a team that’s trying to accomplish something,” Gobert said.
Gobert is averaging career highs in (15.9 ppg), free throw percentage (69.0%), rebounds (14.9) and field goal percentage (71.1%). The three-time Kia Defensive Player of the Year leads the league in the latter two categories.
The Jazz is hoping Gobert’s return combined with a midseason trade for Nickeil Alexander-Walker will jolt the them back up the Western Conference standings. Utah is 10-12 since Jan. 1 and is 3 1/2 behind the third-place Memphis Grizzlies.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
