San Antonio vs. Utah, Final Score: Spurs lead early and cruise to victory over Jazz, 118-111

28/03/2024 05:36

No blown double-digit leads this time.

Fresh off a win against the Suns on Monday, the Spurs headed out on the road to take on a slumping Utah Jazz team. After a strong start that saw the Good Guys get out by as much as 19, the Jazz went on a run in the second quarter to keep the game from getting away from them, but the Spurs recovered and kept them at arm's length the rest of the way before staving off one last run by making their free throws down the stretch for the 118-111 win.

Devin Vassell led five Spurs in double figures with 31 points and 6 assists, while Victor Wembanyama had 19, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 blocks, while Julian Champagnie (tying his career high), Jeremy Sochan and Cedi Osman all scored 17 points. Collin Sexton and Lauri Markkanen combined for 51 points for the Jazz.

Observations

• If you recognize the names Brice Sensabaugh, Omer Yurtseven, or Micah Potter, congratulations: you know more than me. With players like Jordan Clarkson and Kris Dunn out and Will Hardy trying some new rotations, the Jazz seemed unrecognizable at times, including in their level of play for the first quarter and half. That changed a bit as Markkanen and Sexton woke up in the second quarter, but it still didn't seem like the same Jazz team that smoke the Spurs a couple of times earlier in the season.
• Another old friend you may have forgotten was in Utah is Luka Samanic, who was appearing in his 36th game this season but is averaging just 2.9 points in seven minutes per game. He got some time today, recording 5 rebounds in 10 minutes, and he still looks a player with upflashed potential, but he plays so passively and seems uninterested — just like we all remember him — and it's fair to wonder if he has any future left in the NBA.
• The Spurs had a real chance to pull away in the second quarter when they got out by as much as 19 before allowing the Jazz to go on a 16-2 run while they struggled through a turnover fest. Overall, the Spurs had a whopping 15 of them in the first half alone, and while they did recover enough to get the lead back to double-digits by halftime, it should have been a lot more, especially considering they hit ten threes. They were better in the second half with just six more turnovers, which prevented the Jazz from going on a another big run allowed them to maintain a relatively comfortable lead the rest of the way.
• With Keldon Johnson out with a sore knee, the Spurs were going to need a team effort from the bench, and they got it. Malaki Branham had his best game in weeks, hitting timely baskets and shooting 3-5 from three, and Cedi Osman got more minutes, responding with 9 points and a 3-3 night from three. Overall, the Spurs shot 16-33 from three after hitting just 24% of their threes over the last three games.
• Wemby became the first rookie since Shaq to surpass 300 stocks (steals + blocks). Considering Shaq had 346, Wemby certainly has a chance to catch him across the final nine games of the season.
• Just going to leave this here because it's funny.

The Spurs will head right back to San Antonio to take on the New York Knicks on Friday. Tip-off will be at 7:00 PM CT on Bally Sports.