By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The San Antonio Spurs staged a massive come-from-behind victory to stun the Utah Jazz, 126-118, during their Western Conference showdown in the ongoing NBA regular season on November 22, 2024.
After being down by as much as 20 points in the first half, San Antonio flipped the switch in the last two quarters and banked on their improved defensive coverage to slow down the waxing-hot Utah offense.
From a 67-point first half outing, the Spurs marked their check list green in the second half after limiting the Jazz to just 51 points which they capitalized on.
The tables officially turned when the third frame kicked off as San Antonio outscored Utah, 34-22. Just when the Jazz thought they could bank on their guards to operate in the perimeter, the Spurs ramped up their intensity in the final frame and scored a game-high 41-point period in the last 12 minutes of the ball game.
Veteran small forward Harrison Barnes led the charge for the banged-up Spurs after flirting with a dominant double-double performance of 25 points, 10 rebounds, and an assist.
Barnes set the tone for San Antonio at the start of the third when he got hot in attacking the loose Utah interior defense.
After scoring four straight baskets to pull the Spurs within 10 points, Chris Paul took matters into his own hands and orchestrated the San Antonio balanced attack to perfection.
Despite only scoring 13 points, Paul ran San Antonio’s set plays in the clutch, resulting in 10 assists alongside five rebounds and two steals.
Paul was responsible for San Antonio’s gain-leading buckets, feeding a wide-open Keldon Johnson for a perimeter jumper while also dishing out an assist to Stephon Castle that ballooned the Spurs’ lead to six points in the final two minutes.
Utah shot more three-pointers than San Antonio during the whole game, but the former Western Conference dynasty squad dominated the paint and tallied 46 attempts from the free-throw line compared to the Jazz’s 26.
San Antonio also edged them in the fast break points department, grabbing 23 markers on the break while Utah only had 15.
The Spurs will look to extend their winning streak to three straight games on November 24, 2024, against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
On the other hand, Utah will aim to break its four-game losing streak on November 24, 2024, against the New York Knicks.
