Fired-up Rudy Gobert and the Utah Jazz beat the Atlanta Hawks 128-112

So it wasn’t quite a revenge-game performance on the level of Karl Malone dropping 61 points on the wrong-place, wrong-time Milwaukee Bucks in January 1990 the night after it was announced A.C. Green would start over The Mailman in the NBA All-Star Game.

But it was pretty good. And it was also a win. And that, as Rudy Gobert reminded us on Friday, is what he’s most about in the end.

The day after Gobert was snubbed from an All-Star Game selection, and hours after he tearfully relived the experience, the Jazz overcame a slapdash first-half performance and another collection of uncharacteristic defensive lapses to ultimately slink past the overmatched-if-not-overwhelmed young Atlanta Hawks, 128-112.

Gobert, who got off to a slow start after being whistled for two fouls inside the game’s first five minutes, capped an emotional day by dominating Atlanta to the tune of 25 points (on 7 of 7 from the field), 13 rebounds, and two blocked shots, while the crowd at Vivint Smart Home Arena serenaded him with chants of “All-Star! All-Star!” every time he stepped to the free-throw line, where he made 11 of 15 attempts.

The Jazz improved to 30-23 on the season with the victory.

Gobert said he had no regrets over how anything went down Friday.

“I just say what’s on my mind. I got a little emotional when I started talking about my mom, but nothing wrong [with that]. It happens, it will probably happen again,” he said. “I care — I care about winning, I care about this team. I just said what was on my mind and what came from the heart.”

He certainly cares about winning, and he got plenty in arriving at that result.

Utah got a balanced performance on the offensive end, as seven players totaled double-digit scoring. Ricky Rubio racked up a double-double with 22 points and 11 assists. Joe Ingles’ surprisingly aggressive start carried him to 19 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Despite an off-night shooting, Donovan Mitchell still totaled 15 points and five assists. Kyle Korver and Derrick Favors each contributed 14 points, and Jae Crowder added 13 off the bench.

Several players said afterward that, as close as the players are in their locker room, they couldn’t help but do what they could to help Gobert prove a point.

“When somebody’s down, we pick him up and keep going. This is the best team I’ve ever been on chemistry-wise,” said Ricky Rubio. “… When [Gobert is] focused on defense, he’s just the best doing it. He helped us get a rhythm on offense, too. He gets easy looks because he rolls hard and he’s active.”

Still, it wasn’t easy against an Atlanta team that is now 16-35 on the season.

The Hawks poured in 34 first-quarter points, as rookie guards Trae Young and Kevin Huerter hit shots from all over. Meanwhile, a six-possession stretch that saw Utah go 0 for 4 shooting and commit two turnovers resulted in a 10-0 Atlanta run.

Then the Hawks started the second period on a 19-6 binge, as the Jazz settled for bad 3-point attempts offensively and failed at containment on the other end.

Post-halftime, it all turned around. With Utah’s focus renewed, the Hawks made just 2 of 17 shots to start, and the momentum swung back firmly into the Jazz’s control.

“We did a good job adjusting. We got a little better defensively as the game went on,” said coach Quin Snyder. “Collectively, we began to find our way, and then the offense kind of takes care of itself.”

Pretty much. The Jazz dropped 38 points in the period, and were never seriously threatened after that.

And so, the Jazz got their win, and Gobert got to make a statement.

While he said afterward that he’s “motivated every night,” he also didn’t dispute the theory that he was perhaps a bit more motivated Friday than usual.

“Obviously, I carry that. People know me, I know myself,” Gobert added. “I’m gonna carry that for a while.”