Utah Jazz vs. San Antonio Spurs Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 21st 2024
Preview and Prediction
San Antonio has demonstrated that with enhanced depth it is capable of achieving victory even without its key players. Now, the Spurs must prove that they can replicate this performance.
They will have the opportunity to do so when they face the struggling Utah Jazz on Thursday in a highly anticipated Western Conference showdown.
The two teams have already faced each other twice this season. San Antonio emerged victorious by a margin of 18 points in Salt Lake City on October 31st, while Utah managed to even the series with a one-point win on November 9th in San Antonio.
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The Spurs will be playing the second game of a three-game homestand, following their 110-104 triumph over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday. This win put an end to their two-game losing streak, despite the absence of star center Victor Wembanyama (bruised right knee) and guard Devin Vassell (sore left knee), both of whom missed their second consecutive game.
Unfortunately for San Antonio, both players have been ruled out for the upcoming game against the Jazz.
Keldon Johnson delivered an impressive performance off the bench, scoring 22 points, while starter Chris Paul recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 assists, including a crucial 3-pointer with 1:27 left in the game. The Spurs managed to build a 21-point lead early in the fourth quarter and held on to it despite a late rally from the Thunder.
"We did a great job of withstanding their comeback and making enough plays to maintain a comfortable lead," said interim head coach Mitch Johnson.
Harrison Barnes also had a strong showing for San Antonio, contributing 20 points, while Julian Champagnie, Zach Collins, and Charles Bassey each scored 12 points. Stephon Castle added 10 points to the team's victory.
"We've been involved in a lot of close games already this season," said Paul. "We've experienced some tough losses and also some big leads, but we never let go. The only way to learn how to win these games is by actually doing it."
The Jazz will be wrapping up a four-game road trip with their game against the Spurs on Thursday, following their 124-118 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. Lauri Markkanen led Utah with 25 points and eight rebounds, while Collin Sexton added 19 points and John Collins, Keyonte George, and Jordan Clarkson each contributed 18 points. However, the Jazz were unable to close the gap and ultimately ran out of time.
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Jazz coach Will Hardy has been giving some of his young and inexperienced players the opportunity to play in crucial moments, in an effort to accelerate their learning curve. This is part of the team's overall strategy, according to Hardy.
"There are moments where you take a risk and say, 'Okay, I want these guys to experience this moment and communicate during the game. Can we fix it on the fly?'" Hardy explained. "The risk is that we might not be able to fix it in this game, but that's where we're at and that's what we're doing."
Following their game on Thursday, Utah and San Antonio will meet again on Tuesday in Salt Lake City for their final matchup of the season, as part of the NBA Cup West Group B.
Utah vs. San Antonio Recap JAN 3TH 2021
Derrick White poured in 24 points and Jakob Poeltl added 19 points and 10 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs overwhelmed the shorthanded Utah Jazz 119-111 on Friday afternoon at the HP Field House near Orlando in a key NBA seeding game.
The win allows the Spurs (30-38) to reassume 10th place in the West, a game behind Portland in the standings and a half-game up on surging Phoenix. San Antonio has three games left in the NBA restart, including another contest against Utah on Thursday to wrap up their schedules.
The Spurs must climb over Portland into ninth place and stay within four games of Memphis in the standings to secure a spot in a play-in tournament for a chance to participate in the postseason for an NBA-record 23rd straight year.
The Jazz played without four starters -- Mike Conley (right knee soreness), Rudy Gobert (rest), Donovan Mitchell (left peroneal strain) and Royce O'Neale (right calf soreness).
Lonnie Walker IV and Rudy Gay added 14 points for the Spurs. DeMar DeRozan hit for 13 and Dejounte Murray scored 11 for San Antonio.
Jordan Clarkson scored 24 points off the bench for the Jazz, with Tony Bradley adding 15 points and 11 rebounds, Miye Oni and Emmanuel Mudiay contributing 14 points each, and Joe Ingles pumping in 12.
Utah (43-26) is fell into a tie for fifth place with Oklahoma City in the Western Conference, a half-game behind Houston for fourth with three games to play.
The Spurs led 60-50 by halftime by outshooting the Jazz 50 percent to 40.9 percent over the first two quarters. White paced the San Antonio with 12 points, with Poeltl scoring 11 points and taking six rebounds in the first half.
Clarkson's 17 points off the bench led all scorers while Ingles had 12 in the half for the Jazz.
San Antonio never wavered in the third quarter, again building its lead to as many as 16 points on the way to a 96-84 advantage heading into the final 12 minutes.
Utah cut San Antonio's lead to six -- 103-97 with 7:19 to play -- but would get no closer.