It says a lot about the San Antonio Spurs’ progress this season that recent postgame criticism centered not on winning and losing but on how their latest victory was accomplished.
The Spurs understand there are issues that need to be addressed entering their home game against the Utah Jazz on Monday in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee.
The last time these teams played, the Jazz beat San Antonio 127-114 in the Alamo City on Dec. 27 to snap the Spurs’ eight-game winning streak. That loss will assure Utah has San Antonio’s full attention.
San Antonio owns a two-game winning streak after a thrilling 126-123 home victory over Minnesota on Saturday. Victor Wembanyama poured in 39 points and grabbed nine rebounds as the Spurs built a 25-point lead halftime lead and held on despite a 55-point game from the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards.
Wembanyama scored 20 in the Spurs’ 48-point second quarter. It was the team’s highest-scoring quarter since 1987.
San Antonio blew its large lead over the final two quarters and needed Wembanyama’s late block and his rebound of a missed free throw in the final seconds to hold off Edwards’ onslaught.
“The start of the third quarter was just way too nonchalant,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “It’s extremely disappointing, but it’s also important to acknowledge that those guys in there got the 25-point lead and they got down at the end of the fourth quarter and they (still) won the game. So not going to sit here and be negative. (I’m going to) keep it all in perspective.”
De’Aaron Fox added 25 points and 12 assists for San Antonio, while Keldon Johnson had 20 points off the bench. Johnson had a key 3-pointer with 17 seconds left and Fox canned two late free throws.
“The whole story of the game is obviously we let the lead go away, but if you talk about just the fourth quarter, we’re not thinking about that in the moment,” Wembanyama said. “It’s just good to get a win no matter what. There’s a lot we have to correct, but it’s still a win. And that’s the main thing I focus on.”
The Jazz head to San Antonio after a 138-120 loss in Dallas on Saturday. Utah has dropped three straight, including back-to-back games at the Mavericks, and is 1-3 over the first four contests of a five-game road trip.
Keyonte George had a game-high 29 points Saturday and Brice Sensabaugh produced 25 off the bench for the Jazz, who have lost nine of their past 11 games.
Ace Bailey added 18 points, Kyle Filipowski racked up 13 points and 12 boards and Cody Williams scored 11 points for Utah, which never threated after being outscored by 13 in the first period. Leading scorer Lauri Markkanen (27.9 points per game) missed his third game in a row with an illness.
“We’re a phenomenal team when everybody plays and guys understand their role and understand what shots are going to be there for them going into the game,” George said. “When guys go through injuries, get sick, life happens, we’ve just got to kind of understand that we can still play the same way.”
San Antonio and Utah will conclude their season series on Thursday when they play in Salt Lake City.
