Jazz Continue Strong Preseason with Win Over Spurs

The Utah Jazz continue to show impressive signs in the preseason as they look to make a significant jump in the upcoming campaign and become a competitive team in the Western Conference. Their latest preseason outing included a 119-109 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at home at the Delta Center, moving to 2-1 in exhibition play with the win.

It was another promising performance from rookie Darryn Peterson, who led the Jazz with 14 points, two rebounds and five assists. He continues to show flashes of why he’s got the chance to become one of the best guards in the NBA in the very near future.

Utah got off to a strong start in this one, outscoring the Spurs 33-26 in the opening quarter. The two teams played evenly in the second frame, allowing the Jazz to carry a 68-61 advantage into halftime.

But the third quarter is where Utah really took over. The Jazz held San Antonio to just 17 points while scoring 31 of their own, pushing the lead to more than 20 entering the final frame. And though the Spurs made a late surge, it wasn’t nearly enough, as Utah held them off and earned the victory.

Keyonte George and Jaren Jackson Jr. also had strong nights with 13 points each, providing additional offensive production from two important pieces of this roster. Lauri Markkanen returned to action after missing the previous preseason contest with a neck issue and had some highlight plays of his own.

But perhaps the most impressive and underrated player in this game was Ace Bailey, who finished with six points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Although he didn’t have a huge scoring night, Bailey made a significant impact defensively and found ways to contribute in several different areas.

If Bailey is able to use his positional size and skill set to be productive on both ends of the floor this season, that’s a huge boost for the Jazz and something that could really take this team to the next level. His ability to impact games without needing to score is particularly encouraging for such a young player.

And though the Jazz are still without Jusuf Nurkić, who’s expected to miss at least a month, they’ve continued to find success in the frontcourt. That’s another encouraging sign as Utah works through different lineup combinations and builds chemistry ahead of the regular season.

From here, Utah will conclude its preseason schedule Friday against the Phoenix Suns before opening the regular season against the Memphis Grizzlies on October 21.