Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert had a quiet game on offense but affected the game in other ways in a victory over the Bucks. Gobert took just three shots, scoring a season-low nine points, but it was his contributions on the glass, 13 rebounds, and on the defensive end, a season-high four blocks with one steal, that helped power the Jazz to a win Sunday. The French big man was on-pace for a career-low in swats, so it was nice to see the blocks come in bunches against Milwaukee. Gobert ranks fourth in the league in field-goal percentage and is shooting free throws better than ever, a trend that would help his value in roto leagues tremendously.

Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tallied 16 points with 21 rebounds and a blocked shot in Wednesday's season-opening win over the Thunder. Gobert tied for third in the NBA in double-doubles last year and wasted no time in picking up his first of the 2021 campaign, as he notched one in just 12 minutes. The star center shot an efficient 6 of 9 from the field. Gobert seems poised to author a strong campaign on the back of his usual excellent rebounding and shot-blocking, with some efficient shooting from the field. He'll get a good matchup on Friday against the Kings. Gobert averaged a double-double with three blocks per game in three contests against Sacramento this year.

Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert has established himself as one of the preeminent double-double weapons in the league over the past handful of years, and Wednesday was no different. Despite logging just 29 minutes due to the hefty margin of victory vs. the Thunder, Gobert managed to compile 21 rebounds to go along with 16 points. The 21 boards mark his opening night of the season career best, as he reached the 20-rebound plateau just six times total last year. As consistent as they come in season-long fantasy, nights like Wednesday serve as a reminder that Gobert can be a useful upside play in DFS as well when facing competition that isn't likely to impede his dominance on the glass.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Once again, the Utah Jazz endured a postseason collapse. Making an early exit from the NBA playoffs stung much more this time. The top-seeded Jazz fell to the Los Angeles Clippers in six games after blowing a 2-0 series lead. Injuries to All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley, coupled with defensive deficiencies exposed by the Clippers’ small-ball lineups, took down a Utah team after a dominating in the regular season. For a team that surrendered a 3-1 series lead to Denver a season earlier, this latest postseason setback left an extra bitter taste. “This hurts more than last year because we were up again and lost again,” Mitchell said. “This is going to eat at me. Even when I go to the grocery store, I’m going to be thinking about it.” Mitchell took another step forward during the postseason as a rising superstar for the Jazz, even while playing through pain after reinjuring his right ankle early in the series against the Clippers. The two-time NBA all-star missed... [More]

Rudy Gobert saved Utah's opening game of the second round with a blocked shot, the kind of play that's earned him recognition as the NBA's best defender. It would have been ever better if Mark Eaton had seen it. The former Jazz center died last month at 64 and Gobert was thinking about his predecessor Wednesday after breaking a tie with him for most Defensive Player of the Year awards in franchise history by winning it for a third time. “I thought about it last night because I knew that I probably would have got a text after the game,” Gobert said. “I’m sure he’s very proud and I’m going to try to keep making him proud and keep honoring his legacy." Gobert had the most total blocked shots and defensive rebounds in the league this season and became the fourth player to win the award at least three times after leading the Jazz to the best record in the league. A night after a game-sealing blocked shot in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, Gobert received 84 first-place votes and... [More]

Utah's Rudy Gobert won his third Defensive Player of the Year award Wednesday after helping the Utah Jazz to the best record in the NBA. Gobert had the most total blocked shots and defensive rebounds in the league this season and became the fourth player to win the award at least three times. A night after a game-sealing blocked shot in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, Gobert received 84 first-place votes and 464 points from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Philadelphia's Ben Simmons was second with 15 first-place votes and 287 votes, while Draymond Green of Golden State was third with 76 points. Gobert was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2018 and 2019. Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace each won it four times and Dwight Howard three. With Gobert in the middle, the Jazz went 52-20 and earned the overall No. 1 seed for the first time. They limited teams to 44.7% shooting, second-lowest in the league. Miami's Bam Adebayo earned the other first-place vote... [More]

Utah's Rudy Gobert won his third Defensive Player of the Year award Wednesday after helping the Utah Jazz to the best record in the NBA. Gobert had the most total blocked shots and defensive rebounds in the league this season and became the fourth player to win the award at least three times. A night after a game-sealing blocked shot in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, Gobert received 84 first-place votes and 464 points from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Philadelphia's Ben Simmons was second with 15 first-place votes and 287 votes, while Draymond Green of Golden State was third with 76 points. Gobert was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2018 and 2019. Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace each won it four times and Dwight Howard three.

Mark Eaton, the 7-foot-4 shot-blocking king who twice was the NBA's defensive player of the year during a career spent entirely with the Utah Jazz, has died. He was 64. The team announced his death Saturday. Eaton left his home for a bike ride Friday night in Summit County, Utah, and shortly thereafter someone called 911 to report after seeing him lying on a roadway and unconscious. Eaton was taken to a hospital where he later died. The team, citing county officials who investigated, said “there is no reason to believe a vehicle was involved in the incident." The Jazz described him in a statement as an “enduring figure in our franchise history” who had a "significant impact in the community after his basketball career.” Utah coach Quin Snyder said Saturday night before Game 3 in Memphis that the team's thoughts and prayers go out to Eaton's wife. “Mark was someone that was a friend, and I think a friend who a lot of us, in his relationship with Rudy Gobert I think is emblematic of who he... [More]

Mark Eaton, the 7-foot-4 shot-blocking king who twice was the NBA's defensive player of the year during a career spent entirely with the Utah Jazz, has died. He was 64. The team announced his death Saturday. Eaton left his home for a bike ride Friday night in Summit County, Utah, and shortly thereafter someone called 911 to report after seeing him lying on a roadway and unconscious. Eaton was taken to a hospital where he later died. The team, citing county officials who investigated, said “there is no reason to believe a vehicle was involved in the incident." The Jazz described him in a statement as an “enduring figure in our franchise history” who had a "significant impact in the community after his basketball career.” Utah coach Quin Snyder said Saturday night before Game 3 in Memphis that the team's thoughts and prayers go out to Eaton's wife. “Mark was someone that was a friend, and I think a friend who a lot of us, in his relationship with Rudy Gobert I think is emblematic of who he... [More]

Mark Eaton, the 7-foot-4 shot-blocking king who twice was the NBA's defensive player of the year during a career spent entirely with the Utah Jazz, has died. He was 64. The team announced his death Saturday. Eaton left his home for a bike ride Friday night in Summit County, Utah, and shortly thereafter someone called 911 to report after seeing him lying on a roadway and unconscious. Eaton was taken to a hospital where he later died. The team, citing county officials who investigated, said “there is no reason to believe a vehicle was involved in the incident." The Jazz described him in a statement as an “enduring figure in our franchise history” who had a "significant impact in the community after his basketball career.” The center led the league in blocks per game four times and his average of 5.6 per contest in 1984-85 remains the highest average since the NBA started officially tracking that statistic. Eaton's career blocks average of 3.51 per game is the best in NBA history, and his... [More]

Mark Eaton, the 7-foot-4 shot-blocking king who twice was the NBA's defensive player of the year during a career spent entirely with the Utah Jazz, has died. He was 64. The team announced his death Saturday but did not give a cause or details, saying only that it was “unexpected.” The Jazz described him in a statement as an “enduring figure in our franchise history” who had a "significant impact in the community after his basketball career.” The center led the league in blocks per game four times and his average of 5.6 per contest in 1984-85 remains the highest average since the NBA started officially tracking that statistic. Eaton's career blocks average of 3.51 per game is the best in NBA history, and his career happened almost by accident. He was working as an auto mechanic in 1977 when a community college basketball coach persuaded him to enroll. From there, he went to UCLA, and his stint with the Jazz followed. “I had an unusual background,” Eaton said for a story published on the... [More]

Mark Eaton, the 7-foot-4 shot-blocking king who twice was the NBA's defensive player of the year during a career spent entirely with the Utah Jazz, has died. He was 64. The team announced his death Saturday but did not give a cause or details, saying only that it was “unexpected.” The Jazz described him in a statement as an “enduring figure in our franchise history” who had a "significant impact in the community after his basketball career.” The center led the league in blocks per game four times and his average of 5.6 per contest in 1984-85 remains the highest average since the NBA started officially tracking that statistic. Eaton's career blocks average of 3.51 per game is the best in NBA history, and his career happened almost by accident. He was working as an auto mechanic in 1977 when a community college basketball coach persuaded him to enroll. From there, he went to UCLA, and his stint with the Jazz followed. “I had an unusual background,” Eaton said for a story published on the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Upon further review, Indiana’s Myles Turner is the NBA’s blocked-shot champion for this season. The NBA said Tuesday that Turner will be recognized as the winner in that category, even though he did not play in the required 70% of games that are typically needed for someone to qualify as a statistical leader. Turner averaged 3.4 blocks per game in 47 games. Utah’s Rudy Gobert averaged 2.7 blocks per game in 71 games. By NBA rule, Turner would have needed to appear in 51 games to qualify for the award, so he fell four games short. But if Turner he had played in those four additional games to reach the minimum and didn’t even block a single shot, his average would have been 3.1 per game — still well ahead of Gobert. The exception to that rule has been established for years. The NBA allows someone to be recognized as a stat champion if, at the end of the season, “the player would have led the league in the category had he played the required number of games with his current category total.” ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah Jazz charter flight headed to Memphis had to return to Salt Lake City after the plane struck a flock of birds on takeoff. No injuries were reported. The Jazz confirmed their Delta charter for Wednesday's game returned to Salt Lake City International airport shortly after takeoff. Following the incident, several players expressed gratitude for the safe landing. Donovan Mitchell posted a praying hands emoji on Twitter, while Rudy Gobert wrote “It's a beautiful day!” The Jazz were scheduled to play the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. Further details were not immediately available. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid sank a step-back jumper in the final minute of the best game of his NBA career, ran back with his arms raised high over his head as piped-in “M-V-P!” “M-V-P!” chants blared through the arena and beckoned with his hands for imaginary fans — for sure, the Philadelphia 76ers’ fanatics watching at home — to get loud. Embiid plays with as much fun as any MVP front-runner, and on the February night he dropped 50 points on the Chicago Bulls, he sent a sign to the fans they are with him in spirit. “The fans are always there for me when I play,” Embiid said. “I play for the fans, I play for the city. All my goals when I play basketball are related to the city of Philadelphia. I feel like they’re here for us even when they’re not. I always feel their presence.” Guess what, Joel: Sixers fans are allowed back in the building on Sunday, and if they are among the lucky 3,100 to snag a ticket — lower-center tickets can be found on StubHub for up to $1,250 a pop — they’ll... [More]

The NBA is expecting arenas to be filled again next season and a return to its normal calendar, Commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday, while cautioning again that every plan is contingent on continued progress in the ongoing fight against the coronavirus. There are no plans for the league to travel overseas next season for exhibitions or regular-season games, Silver said, meaning recent preseason trips to foreign markets such as China, Japan or India won’t be repeated until 2022 at the earliest. But otherwise, things may largely appear back to normal — with the NBA eyeing a return to the 82-game schedule, starting in October and ending in June. “I’m fairly optimistic, at this point, that we will be able to start on time,” Silver said from Atlanta, in his annual news conference that precedes the All-Star Game. “Roughly half our teams have fans in their arenas right now and, if vaccines continue on the pace they are and they continue to be as effective as they have been against the virus... [More]

The NBA is expecting arenas to be filled again next season and a return to its normal calendar, Commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday, while cautioning again that every plan is contingent on continued progress in the ongoing fight against the coronavirus. There are no plans for the league to travel overseas next season for exhibitions or regular-season games, Silver said, meaning recent preseason trips to foreign markets such as China, Japan or India won’t be repeated until 2022 at the earliest. But otherwise, things may largely appear back to normal — with the NBA eyeing a return to the 82-game schedule, starting in October and ending in June. “I’m fairly optimistic, at this point, that we will be able to start on time,” Silver said from Atlanta, in his annual news conference that precedes the All-Star Game. “Roughly half our teams have fans in their arenas right now and, if vaccines continue on the pace they are and they continue to be as effective as they have been against the virus... [More]

PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker won't play in the NBA All-Star Game this weekend because of a mild sprain in his left knee, opening up space for Utah's Mike Conley to make his first All-Star appearance. The Suns announced Booker's injury on Friday. Conley will be making his first appearance in the NBA showcase in his 13th season. Conley seemed surprised by the announcement that came about 48 hours before Sunday's game. The point guard posted “Lol What just happened” in response to a congratulatory message from teammate Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Conley will all represent the Jazz in the All-Star Game. Booker was hurt in the first quarter of a victory over Golden State on Thursday. He appeared to bump knees with Golden State's Kent Bazemore and fell to the floor with a grimace on his face. He remained in the game and finished with 16 points. Booker was set to play in his second All-Star Game after he was put on the roster as an injury replacement for Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis. Conley's addition to the All-Star roster is a feel-good story for the veteran point guard. The 33-year-old has routinely been in the All-Star discussion for a decade but always was snubbed when rosters were announced. Conley is averaging 16.1 points and 5.7 assists for the Jazz, who have the NBA's best record at 27-9. ___ Follow David Brandt at www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LeBron James has faced Giannis Antetokounmpo as an opponent in the last three All-Star Games. The Los Angeles Lakers' star got him as a teammate this year. James used the No. 1 overall pick on Antetokounmpo — the NBA’s two-time reigning MVP from Milwaukee — in the draft for Sunday’s All-Star Game in Atlanta. Kevin Durant, who will not play in the All-Star Game because of injury but still is the captain for Team Durant, took Brooklyn teammate Kyrie Irving with his first pick. The other starters for Team LeBron will be Stephen Curry of Golden State, Luka Doncic of Dallas and Nikola Jokic of Denver. The other starters for Team Durant will be Joel Embiid of Philadelphia, 2020 All-Star MVP Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers, Bradley Beal of Washington and Jayson Tatum of Boston. This is the fourth year of the NBA's playing captain format for the All-Star Game. James is 3-0, beating teams captained by Curry in 2018 and Antetokounmpo in the last two seasons. “I just try to pick players... [More]

The Utah Jazz said they will “thoroughly investigate” an allegation from former NBA player Elijah Millsap that longtime team executive Dennis Lindsey directed a bigoted statement toward him during an end-of-season exit interview in 2015. Millsap, the brother of former Jazz standout and current Denver forward Paul Millsap, made the allegation in a tweet Wednesday. Millsap alleged that Lindsey, then the team’s general manager, said “if u say one more word, I’ll cut your Black ass and send you back to Louisiana.” Lindsey, now the team’s executive vice president, has denied saying that. “The Jazz organization has zero tolerance for discriminatory behavior of any kind,” the team said in a statement Thursday night. “We take these matters seriously. We have proactively engaged outside counsel to work in coordination with the NBA to thoroughly investigate this matter. We seek a comprehensive and unbiased review of the situation.” Millsap did not immediately respond to a message seeking reaction... [More]