San Antonio (4-6), after repeatedly stymieing Utah’s makes an attempt to flee with a win, lastly succumbed on the very finish to fall to 1-1 on their homestand. Utah secured its hard-fought victory inside and across the painted space – notably within the first half after they have been in a position to go 12-for-16 from the free throw line and muscle their option to a 25-18 rebounding benefit, whereas San Antonio transformed solely 34% from the sphere with a horrid 5 2-point pictures made. The Spurs willed their approach again into the sport in well-played third and fourth quarters – by aiding on 23 of their first 28 area targets after that powerful opening half and getting nice taking pictures from Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama.
Vassell, in his first 2024-2025 motion contributed 21 factors in restricted minutes. Wembanyama (24 factors, 16 rebounds, and seven blocks) and Stephon Fortress (23 factors and a couple of steals). Keldon Johnson (14 factors and 5 assists) excelled off the bench once more, whereas Chris Paul (0-6 FG) struggled towards the faster and greater Jazz guards.
Utah (2-7) was led by Lauri Markkanen (20 factors, 6 rebounds, and a couple of steals) and Collin Sexton (23 factors and 4 assists). They have been bolstered by 54 bench factors from Jordan Clarkson (who else – 16 factors and three steals), John Collins (15 factors and 10 rebounds), and Johnny Juzang (10 factors) – with the majority of their harm finished in essential second-half moments.
In what solely may very well be described as a ragged first body, a trio of spectacular threes from Fortress helped give the Spurs a six-point benefit. Vassell got here into the sport 6+ minutes in, and although he missed his first two makes an attempt, received a deflection. The Jazz leveraged a jarring 18-2 benefit within the paint to guide forward. San Antonio wanted all of Fortress’s 9 factors and Wembanyama’s six to stay inside three after one.
San Antonio made a pleasant push behind Wembanyama’s shotmaking from distance. Devin Vassell noticed his first shot go down encouragingly. Former USC standout Isaiah Collier droved doggedly into the paint to get some factors, whereas Markkanen discovered his taking pictures contact. The non-Vassell Spurs’ pictures stopped falling over a number of minutes, and Markkanen received a standard three-point play with a fairly catch-and-shoot three. Utah, because it did all through the second interval, took benefit on the free throw stripe to surge forward of the hosts. The Jazz went into the break up 53-45.
Along with his crew struggling to hit pictures, Harrison Barnes turned his consideration to the offensive finish at first of the third interval, and San Antonio briefly erased the whole lot of that halftime deficit. Utah ran the identical motion over plenty of minutes by posting an enormous on the entrance of the rim and was in a position to go up as a lot as 9. Nevertheless, this appeared to collectively anger the Spurs squad, they usually made up all of that deficit over the past a number of minutes – capped off by Blake Wesley zipping a bullet cross to Fortress for an emphatic dunk. The groups exited the body tied at 82.
Observations
Late on Friday’s Invoice Simmons podcast, he rattled off his up to date prime 25 NBA gamers record, and had Wembanyama #16 (“primarily for his protection”).”
The decrease bowl was noticeably empty at tipoff.
The business snippets throughout free throws are… one thing.
Paul’s taking pictures stroke is clearly off.
Harrison Barnes caught his nostril in there on some early unfastened balls that youthful gamers could have given up on.
Except for Markkanen, I’d take Sandro Mamukelashvili (regardless of registering solely seven minutes of enjoying time) over Kyle Filipowski and Walker Kessler.
Sequence of the Recreation #1: Late within the opening stanza, Fortress stole an errant Jazz cross, and fed a streaking Johnson for an alley-oop dunk/layup factor of awkwardness.
Sequence of the Recreation #2: Partway into the second quarter, Mamukelashvili deflected a Utah transition cross, which discovered its option to Chris Paul, who dished it to Wembanyama for his fourth three of the half. This got here after Mamekelashvili nearly discovered Wesley for one more baseline lay-up (that he missed).
Sequence of the Recreation #3: With the sport within the steadiness late within the third interval, Wesley took an outlet cross from Johnson and soared to the rim by two Jazz for an aerial and-1.
One factor Patty Mills might all the time do was draw prices. His cost drawn on Julian Champagnie halted a second-half Spurs run.
Victor Ease: Additional proof that he has simply wanted teammates to search for him, Wembanyama blocked Markkanen’s three try within the opening minute of the second half, and gently laid the ball along with his physique inches from going over the baseline.
Keldon’s Kitchen: Late within the first half, Johnson did what he has been doing higher this yr – pestering Markkanen right into a steal on protection after which barreling right into a defender to muscle a bankshot house.
There’s been so few shut video games San Antonio’s performed in recent times, that the fourth quarter responses to the Jazz making it a one-possession sport (89-89, 91-91, 93-93, 95-95) have been an exquisite factor to look at.
Wembanyama and Kessler, the highest two shot-blockers within the league, had one apiece within the first minute. Fortress and Wembanyama’s threes gave San Antonio an early lead. Fortress’s second three – from Danny Inexperienced’s above the break spot – appeared actually strong. His third three from even additional out appeared splashy. Sexton was the beneficiary of some sloppy Spurs’ ballhandling and received two transition lay-ups, and Patty Mills put up 5 fast factors to tie issues at 15. San Antonio, after a rash of turnovers and stalled possessions, went down six. Wembanyama’s stepback three drew the Spurs to inside 22-25.
The Spurs received again forward behind Wembanyama’s free throws and an acrobatic Blake Wesley lay-up. Jordan Clarkson’s poor strategy to protection drew him three fouls and the Spur-tormentor went to the bench. Wembanyama’s three gave San Antonio a 4 level lead that was erased by Collier’s and Markkanen’s baskets. Vassell sandwiched attractive jumpers round Markkanen’s three. The Jazz’s free throw drawing capability paired with San Antonio’s misplaced taking pictures contact allowed them to move to the break up eight.
Successive runs characterised a superb third quarter – Spurs 5-0, Utah 6-0, and Spurs 7-0 – with Wembanyama’s fifth three kickstarting the second run, and Barnes ‘sneaking’ in two buckets. Barnes third area aim of the body tied the sport at 62. John Collins and Kessler snuck to the entrance of the rim for quite a few scoring probabilities, whereas Johnny Juzang’s straightaway three put the Jazz again up six. John Collins’ second three-point play put Utah up 9. Zach Collins hit a wing three in response to provoke a 10-0 San Antonio run (its third of the quarter!). Vassell’s factors appeared like what he’s all the time finished for the Spurs – easy and stylish. Vassell discovered Zach Collins in site visitors for a dunk, and John Collins, regardless of all of the harm he did within the third, picked up his fifth foul. Wesley assisted Fortress excellently on a dunk, and San Antonio gained the quarter 37-29.
In the beginning of the fourth, Filipowski made a private 5-0 run, and Wembanyama responded by placing Markkanen within the spin cycle for a lay-up and his sixth three tied the sport at 87. San Antonio’s taking pictures contact betrayed it once more, and the Jazz went up 4. Fortress threw an off-the-backboard alley-oop to Wembanyama, however was fouled by Sexton – nullifying the factors. Fortress’s assured free throws tied it once more at 91. His daring drive round and thru two Utah defenders tied issues at 93. Sadly, Clarkson began scoring at-will along with his three making it 99-95. Vassell once more drew a number of defenders and located Johnson for a reverse lay-up, which was answered by an inexplicable Sexton tipback.
Markkanen fell awkwardly as he was fouled, however made 1-of-2 from the road to nudge the Jazz result in 5. Shot-after-shot fell errantly for San Antonio till Paul discovered Fortress for a hovering dunk. Chaos ensued in the course of the subsequent Jazz possession as Wembanyama turned away a number of makes an attempt, and Johnson fed Fortress for a transition dunk. Sexton and Johnson exchanged clutch threes. Fortress fouled Clarkson on a stepback three, and the San Antonian made 2-of-3 to make it 107-104 Utah. Clarkson flopped when Wembanyama made contact with him and the assessment for the offensive foul was not overturned. After Clarkson made his freebies, Champagnie hit a nook three to deliver the Spurs inside two. Sexton made each of his free throws, and Vassell’s banker closed out the sport’s scoring.
For the Jazz fan’s perspective, please go to SLC Dunk.
San Antonio continues its homestand on Monday night time towards DeMar DeRozan and the Sacramento Kings at 7:00 PM CDT.
