Jazz surprise Spurs with very good Victor Vembanjam

After two authoritarian successes against the Thunder, the Spurs, without De’Aaron Fox, hosted the Jazz. A priori, a simple formality, especially since jazz is side by side. Nothing happened despite the return Victor Vembanyama in the starting five.

With Wemby on the court, the beginning of the match is marked by an exchange of shots where the two teams are very skilled, but the entry of Keldon Johnson into the game (27 points, shooting 10/15, from distance 5/7) allows the Spurs to make the first deficit in this game. Thanks to three game-winning shots from their winger, San Antonio leads 15-2 and leads by eleven (30-19).

At the end of the first half, both teams shot more than 65%, but San Antonio is still ahead (40-32). The second quarter marks the return to the floor of Victor Wembanyama (32 points, 7 rebounds, 5 blocks), and the Frenchman dunks after a lobbed pass from Dylan Harper. However, the jazz address does not disappear. If Keionte George (28 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists) comes the tie, it’s Walter Clayton Jr. who puts Utah ahead (51-49).

On the Spurs side, the offense stalled and the Texans went two minutes without a single point. The guests then took advantage of the opportunity to increase the deficit and had to wait for another long shot by Keldon Johnson to end San Antonio’s offensive drought (62-54). Lauri Markkanen (29 points on 11/16 shooting) immediately responds with a long shot. On the other end of the court, Mitch Johnson’s men made three unsuccessful attempts from behind the arc, but each time they managed to grab the offensive rebound and Victor Wembanyama came back and dunked. Keldon Johnson added two more points in the process, but the Spurs were still ten lengths behind when they got to the locker room (70-60).

A vain burst of pride

After the break, the Jazz still didn’t let up, like this new award-winning shot by Lauri Markkanen. In contrast, San Antonio insists behind the arc, but the address seen at the beginning of the meeting has disappeared. If this third quarter is marked Dylan Harper’s “poster” on Kyle FilipowskiThe Spurs are still behind before the start of the final action (98-87).

A fourth quarter where San Antonio finally tightens up the defense and forces the Jazz to rack up turnovers. On offense, Victor Vembanyama clears Lauri Markkanen and goes for a dunk to bring the game back to one possession. In the process, Stephon Castle goes on to tie the game (106-106).

However, Utah used the quick pass of “Wemby” on the bench to create a new gap (116-110). When the Frenchman returns to the field, he counters Jusuf Nurkicbut that won’t be enough to pick up the score. The Jazz keep rolling, and the Markkanen-George tandem makes sure to finish the job for a 127-114 win. No. 2 in the league, San Antonio is on a five-game winning streak.

WHAT TO REMEMBER

Victor Vembanyama shines for a return to the top five. Since his return from injury, Victor Wembanyama had to settle for the role of the sixth player, but during this duel against the Jazz he returned to the starting five. The Frenchman was as brilliant as his 32 points, including several “alleys” closed after Dylan Harper’s pass. In defense, he multiplies counterattacks and if the pivot is shown in the return of the Jazz, it is not enough to avoid defeat. In just under 28 minutes, Victor Vembanyama finished with 32 points on 12/21 shooting, 7 rebounds and 5 blocks.

The story of the address. Jazz found their rhythm from the beginning of the match and hardly took their foot off the gas. Despite a slight slowdown in the fourth quarter, Utah shot 54% including a solid 46% from behind the arc. It was this skill from long range that allowed Will Hardy’s players to win as San Antonio was unable to keep pace, evidenced by a poor 10/44 from 3-point range. On the Texans side, only Keldon Johnson could match his sights with 5/7 from long range.

The jazz continues. In 24 hours, Utah claimed the scalps of the Pistons and Spurs, the 2nd and 3rd records in the entire NBA! A double feat that allows them to gradually leave the red zone. In the standings, Will Hardy’s men now have the same record as the Blazers (12-19) and could move into the play-in qualifying spots if Portland loses to the Celtics this week.

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How to read statistics? Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive jump; T = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = point difference when the player is on the court; Points = Points; Rating: player rating calculated based on positive actions – negative actions.