Utah signed one of its most notable successes of the season by winning on Saturday in San Antonio. Facing a dynamic Spurs team, the Jazz showed consistency and efficiency to interrupt a series that had lasted since the beginning of December in the NBA.
A stunning scenario
San Antonio had however taken control from the start of the meeting. Spurs set a high pace in the first quarter to quickly break away and take the lead after twelve minutes. Utah, however, reacted in the second quarter, gradually rebalancing the match before taking the advantage just before the break. At halftime, the Jazz had a ten-point lead, a gap built thanks to better outside skill and more aggressive defense.
Upon returning from the locker room, the meeting gained in intensity. San Antonio managed to recover in the last quarter, returning to tie with less than eight minutes remaining. Utah, however, did not give in under the pressure. A decisive outside shot allowed Jazz to regain the advantage and this time for good. More solid in the last possessions, Utah was able to manage the end of the match to win away.
Markkanen and George as conductors
Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George were the main architects of this success. The first brought his offensive impact throughout the meeting while the second was decisive in key moments. On the Spurs side, Victor Wembanyama delivered another high-level performance, but his contribution was not enough to avoid defeat. San Antonio remained on eight consecutive victories in the regular season and maintains second place in the Western Conference. Utah, for its part, continues its progression despite a still negative record (11e).
Other notable results
Elsewhere in the NBA, Denver was beaten by one point by Orlando (127-126) despite an offensive performance from Nikola Jokic. New York won in Atlanta (125-128) thanks to the excellent performances of Karl-Anthony Towns (36 points, 15 rebounds) and Jalen Brunson (34 points). Finally, Milwaukee ended Chicago’s series by taking advantage of the winning return of Giannis Antetokounmpo after several weeks of absence.
