Grades: San Antonio Spurs vs. Utah Jazz – Game #16
Charles Bassey came up big for the Spurs (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs erased a 20-point lead by the Utah Jazz to win their second straight game and improve to 8-8 on the season. This is also the second consecutive victory the Spurs have notched despite not having Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell or Jeremy Sochan. All three missed the game due to injury.
The Jazz outscored the Spurs 32-17 in the first quarter and it took San Antonio a long time to recover. Finally, San Antonio went on an 11-1 run late in the third quarter to tie the game. From there, the Spurs got wise play from their vets and courageous play from their young guns to sprint to a 126-118 victory.
Overall, the Spurs have to be satisfied with their effort. Their rugged play resulted in 20 more free throw attempts than the Jazz, which allowed San Antonio to survive their frigid three-point shooting.
Stats: Spurs vs. Jazz
Spurs vs. Jazz – Final Grades
Chris Paul
Paul was primarily brought to San Antonio to teach the youngsters how to win. On Thursday night, he gave a hands-on lesson. Paul scored 11 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter and added three assists and three rebounds. He was very quiet to begin the game but his play down the stretch was the biggest reason why the Spurs escaped with a win.
Grade: A-
Harrison Barnes
With San Antonio’s top three scorers on the sidelines, Barnes has turned into a primary option — and the results have been very positive. He led the Spurs with 25 points and was spectacularly efficient offensively. Not only did he shoot well, he didn’t turn the ball over and could be depended upon to make the right pass. Barnes’ shooting is silky smooth right now and his deliberate drives to the cup are effective. His defense was better than usual and Barnes was impactful on the glass on both ends of the court.
Grade: A-
Stephon Castle
It was another strong performance as a starter for Castle. He just looks like a natural basketball player. Defensively, he made life very difficult for the Jazz. He was rarely out of position and his anticipation was great. Offensively, Castle made most of his noise by way of athletic finishes at the rim. However, he also mixed in a handful of heady passes and knocked down another three-pointer. Castle’s ball-handling is better than advertised, which is allowing him to be a main playmaker even in the guts of the game.
Grade: B+
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie was only 2-for-7 from three-point land but he didn’t let that stop him from making a difference against Utah. His passing was really good, he drove with a purpose and he was super active on the defensive end. Shooting is still Champagnie’s bread and butter but it’s exciting that he’s becoming a more well-rounded player.
Grade: B
Zach Collins
Collins deserves credit for carrying the team early. He had a team-high nine points in the first quarter. His physicality was great; he was either finishing in the paint or finding his way to the charity stripe. His rebounding and defense were a plus. Unfortunately, foul trouble and a few unforced miscues limited what could have been an outstanding outing. As it was, Collins was helpful — but it could have been more.
Grade: B
Keldon Johnson
Johnson missed all three of his three-point shots and he had a couple defensive mistakes. Happily, though, the rest of his evening was stout. Johnson finished well at the rim, got to the line, rebounded with vigor and was even passing decently well. His passing still has a ways to improve … but he was definitely better.
Grade: B-
Charles Bassey
Bassey quite possibly could have been the best Spurs player on the court. His shot-blocking was a game-changing attribute for San Antonio. His timing and alertness when rotating over to help was phenomenal. That aggression also translated to a productive night on the boards. Offensively, he was a plus. Bassey was finishing well and reading situations correctly. Only a few unwise fouls stopped him from grading out with a perfect score.
Grade: A
Tre Jones
Better. Jones hadn’t done much since returning from injury but we saw glimpses of how he can help the team. His finishing in transition was excellent and his relentless penetration led to eight free throw attempts. Jones was good defensively and he limited his mistakes on both ends.
Grade: B
Malaki Branham
Branham unleashed five field goal attempts in only eight minutes. He hit a three-pointer but it felt like he was way too involved during his time on the court. Branham needs to be confident during his minutes but he also can’t ignore the good-to-great passes like he was tonight.
Grade: C
Blake Wesley
Wesley was trying to use his speed to his advantage but that mission wasn’t accomplished on Thursday night. He looked fast but there was nothing tangible to point to as proof of him aiding of the cause.
Grade: C
Mitch Johnson
Good stuff by Johnson. The Spurs played poorly for a large part of the game but the head coach made a lot of needed adjustments. He shortened the rotation and called plays to utilize San Antonio’s size and strength advantages. Impressive back-to-back short-handed wins for the interim head coach.
Grade: A-