The San Antonio Spurs have blown their fair share of double-digit leads this season, but in their most recent win over the Utah Jazz, they were able to do the opposite.
The San Antonio Spurs picked up a road win on Thursday night, beating the Utah Jazz 126-109. A win was expected, although the Spurs' best players were utterly dominant in the showing.
Victor Wembanyama posted 26 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks. Sixth Man of the Year candidate Keldon Johnson offered 21 points off the bench. De'Aaron Fox led the way with 31 points, and they were able to hold Utah's Keyonte George to 23 points.
In recent games, the Spurs have blown double-digit leads and either limped to a win or lost the game in embarrassing fashion. Against the Jazz, the Spurs were able to get back in the swing of things.
Spurs Buck Recent Trend vs. Jazz
The Spurs, at halftime, boasted a double-digit lead before they let the Jazz tie things up in the fourth quarter. Despite the collapse, the Spurs went on to save their best for last, finishing with a game-high 17-point lead.
The Spurs made sure to get out and play fast, turning defense into offense, which has been one of their key strengths this season.
"If you look at our roster makeup, specifically some of the guys that are the main players on our team, they thrive in transition, they thrive in space," said head coach Mitch Johnson. "And so we want to take advantage of any opportunity we can. And I think sometimes when you play teams that are very well-equipped offensively, like Utah is, that can hurt you or work for you. It just kind of depends on the personality of the game. We've been fortunate enough at times to get enough stops or turnovers to get out in open court. But, again, as we've seen with Utah this year, you also don't want them to start feeling good and they can score a bunch of points as well. So it's a fine line of trying to impose your identity on the game, but also remember you've got to play both ends."
The Jazz aren't exactly a quality opponent, although the win should help set the tone for the Spurs moving forward. They will have two days off before they take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, in what should be another fairly easy win for the Silver and Black.