Utah walked out of the United Center with a loss on Wednesday night, but the spotlight followed a player who never started the game. Brice Sensabaugh delivered one of the most explosive scoring performances by a reserve in franchise and league history, pouring in 43 points off the bench, even as the Jazz were edged 128-126 by the Chicago Bulls on January 14, 2026.
The defeat overshadowed a night that rewrote several statistical benchmarks. With Lauri Markkanen sidelined by illness, Utah leaned heavily on youth, deploying a rotation dominated by players with three years of NBA experience or less. Sensabaugh, a third-year forward, seized the opportunity in dramatic fashion.
First-quarter eruption rewrites record book
Sensabaugh ignited the game almost immediately after checking in, scoring 21 points in just 7 minutes and 14 seconds of the opening quarter. He went 8-for-9 from the field in that stretch, drilling all three of his three-point attempts. The outburst marked the most points ever scored by an NBA reserve in a first quarter since the league began tracking the statistic in the 1996–97 season, surpassing the previous mark of 20 set by Lance Stephenson in January 2022.
By halftime, Sensabaugh had accumulated 28 points, narrowly missing the Utah franchise record for points in a half. Rodney Hood’s 30-point half against the Lakers in March 2016 remains the Jazz benchmark, while Karl Malone’s 37-point second half in 1998 still stands as the team’s best for any half.
“The shots were falling, and it was a lot of fun,” Sensabaugh said afterward, reflecting on a first half that kept Utah within striking distance.
Late drama, historic numbers, and a narrow defeat
Sensabaugh finished the night with 15 made shots on 22 attempts, including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc and a flawless 8-for-8 performance at the free-throw line. He added five rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 34 minutes. The 43 points were the second-most ever scored by a Jazz player off the bench, trailing only Jordan Clarkson’s 45-point game in 2022, and set a new franchise record for points by a Utah reserve in a road contest.
Utah mounted a late rally behind Sensabaugh and Keyonte George, who scored 25 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter. After trailing by 12 with just over five minutes remaining, the Jazz tied the game at 126 on a Sensabaugh layup with 28.5 seconds left. George’s potential game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer came up short.
Chicago answered in the final moments. Nikola Vucevic led the Bulls with 35 points and scored the decisive basket on a layup with four seconds remaining. The Bulls, playing without Josh Giddey due to a strained left hamstring, received double-digit scoring from five reserves, while Isaac Okoro was the only other Chicago starter to reach double figures with 12 points.
The contest featured 26 ties and 17 lead changes, echoing the drama of an earlier meeting this season that saw Utah win 150-147 in double overtime. This time, the Bulls prevailed in regulation.
Jazz coach Will Hardy emphasized the positives despite the loss, pointing to the competitiveness and cohesion of his young roster. Sensabaugh’s performance came at a pivotal point in his development, following a season marked by uneven production but flashes of scoring prowess.
Through 39 games this season, including eight starts, Sensabaugh is averaging career highs of 11 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. His January numbers are even stronger, with averages of 17.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 steals. Last season, he closed the year by averaging 11.5 points while shooting 44 percent from three over his final 41 games.
The 22-year-old also became the second-youngest player in Jazz history to score 40 or more points in a game, behind only Donovan Mitchell, and recorded the highest-scoring NBA game by an Ohio State alumnus since Michael Redd’s 52-point performance in 2007.
Drafted 28th overall in 2023 after earning Big Ten All-Freshman honors, Sensabaugh will be eligible for a contract extension this summer. For now, Utah heads to Dallas for a two-game set against the Mavericks, while Chicago prepares for a home-and-home series with Brooklyn.
Consistency remains the next challenge for Sensabaugh, but on a night filled with records and near-misses, he firmly announced himself as a central figure in Utah’s future.
