On a night where not much went their way on either end of the court, Utah overcame a double-digit deficit for much of the second half to make it a game late in the fourth quarter. However, the Jazz couldn’t complete the comeback and fell 118-111 to San Antonio on Wednesday.
“Another night where you win the second quarter, the third quarter, and the fourth quarter, but not enough intensity, physicality, and focus to start the game when you dig yourself a hole,” head coach Will Hardy said. “We go through stretches where we move the ball, and it looks how we want it to look. ... But then we revert back to some bad habits that we are trying to break. I don’t ever doubt the competitiveness of the team and their willingness to play hard. … We’ve just got to play smarter.”
Despite the loss, Collin Sexton continues to play some of the best basketball of his career, and Wednesday was more of the same. He finished the night with a team-high 26 points, shooting 11-of-20 from the floor. He has 27 games this season where he scored 20+ points on 50% shooting or better from the field, continuing to shatter his previous high of 20 games during the 2019-20 season.
Sexton added nine assists, two rebounds, and two steals.
Although they trailed most of the game, the Jazz kept battling back. However, every time they made a run and put a charge into the comeback, San Antonio had an answer. Utah gave it one last gasp in the final minutes, cutting a 17-point deficit to seven with three minutes to go following a 13-3 run.
Despite threes from Sexton and Markkanen in the final minute, the latter of which made it a four-point game with 23.2 seconds left, the Jazz couldn’t get the stops needed on the other end.
Markkanen continues to find his rhythm after missing an extended period of time with a right thigh contusion. He finished with 25 points and six rebounds in a season-high 42 minutes. John Collins added 18 points and five rebounds, while Keyonte George chipped in 14 points and eight assists.
It was 48 hours ago when the Jazz had one of their best first quarters of the season. They scored 41 points by attacking the rim and getting to the free-throw line. Utah dished out 11 assists on 13 made buckets while shooting a perfect 11-for-11 from the free-throw line.
However, those good vibes didn’t carry over to Wednesday. Utah had one of their worst opening quarters of the season, being held to just 15 points as they trailed by 14 heading to the second. The Jazz looked largely disjointed on both ends of the court, prompting Hardy to pull all five starters midway through the quarter. Eventually, he would play 12 guys in the first.
While it wasn’t the opening 12 minutes Hardy or the Jazz expected, Utah looked like a much different team in the second quarter. They dropped 33 points as Collin Sexton and Lauri Markkanen took over, combining for 21 points and three assists as the Jazz cut the deficit to 11 at the break.
“The most important thing is that we find that collective focus at tipoff,” Hardy said. We’ve got to find a way to start the game with a little more force and a little more focus and not wait for it to come to us. … We have got to make it happen. The focus and attention to detail has got to ramp up.”
Despite the struggles offensively, Utah did something they’re proven to be excellent at: shoot free throws.
Entering Wednesday, Utah ranked first in the NBA in free throw percentage since the All-Star break by shooting 85.7% from the charity stripe. They upped that number against the Spurs, finishing 20-of-22 (90.9%) at the charity stripe. Collins and Markkanen led the way by shooting a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line each, capping off a perfect showing from the starting five as they shot 16-of-16.
The last time Utah led the NBA in free-throw percentage following the All-Star break was in 1994-95, when they shot 79.9%. On the season, the Jazz rank second in the league at 82.9%, just .1% points behind Oklahoma City.
With the Jazz all in on their youth movement post-All-Star break, Wednesday was a good sign for the future of the organization.
George continues to impress nightly, particularly on the offensive end. With Utah struggling in the opening 12 minutes, George’s ability to settle down the offense and get the Jazz into their sets helped Utah overcome the double-digit deficit early to make it a game in the fourth.
“He has a really unique brain for a young player,” Hardy said of his rookie guard. “I think that’s where he’s got a big advantage on everyone else because it’s gonna, hopefully, accelerate his learning curve. Basketball is pattern recognition when it comes down to it on the offensive end, and the best players are the ones that know all the patterns and can recognize them quickly. … Keyonte has shown the ability to do some of that.”
Taylor Hendricks continues to draw each opposing team’s best player, and it’s safe to say Wednesday’s matchup came against the biggest and most unique opponent he’s faced this season: Spurs rookie Victory Wembanyama. Hendricks did a good job defending the bigger Wembanyama, using his strength to keep Wembanyama from getting to his spots easily. He also blocked the 7-foot-4 center, a rarity in today’s game.
Lastly, Brice Sensabaugh continues to show his offensive potential as a legitimate scorer off the bench. He helped keep Utah afloat in their quarter when he dropped seven points in limited minutes. His ability to come off the bench and immediately find a rhythm on offense within the game could pay dividends the more he evolves.
The Jazz will close out their homestand on Friday when they face Houston. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. MST.