San Antonio was unable to win this afternoon despite Victor Wembanyama’s best shooting game of the season | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images Wembanyama and Vassell re-esablished their 1-2 status, while Castle continued to impress in the tough loss. San Antonio (4-6), after repeatedly stymieing Utah’s attempts to escape with a win, finally succumbed at the very end to fall to 1-1 on their homestand. Utah secured its hard-fought victory inside and around the painted area - particularly in the first half when they were able to go 12-for-16 from the free throw line and muscle their way to a 25-18 rebounding advantage, while San Antonio converted only 34% from the field with a horrid five 2-point shots made. The Spurs willed their way back into the game in well-played third and fourth quarters - by assisting on 23 of their first 28 field goals after that tough opening half and getting great shooting from Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama. Vassell, in his first 2024-2025 action contributed 21 points in limited minutes. Wembanyama (24 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 blocks) and Stephon Castle (23 points and 2 steals). Keldon Johnson (14 points and 5 assists) excelled off the bench again, while Chris Paul (0-6 FG) struggled against the quicker and bigger Jazz guards. Utah (2-7) was led by Lauri Markkanen (20 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Collin Sexton (23 points and 4 assists). They were bolstered by 54 bench points from Jordan Clarkson (who else - 16 points and 3 steals), John Collins (15 points and 10 rebounds), and Johnny Juzang (10 points) - with the bulk of their damage done in critical second-half moments. In what only could be described as a ragged first frame, a trio of impressive threes from Castle helped give the Spurs a six-point advantage. Vassell came into the game 6+ minutes in, and though he missed his first two attempts, got a deflection. The Jazz leveraged a jarring 18-2 advantage in the paint to lead ahead. San Antonio needed all of Castle’s nine points and Wembanyama’s six to remain within three after one. San Antonio made a nice push behind Wembanyama’s shotmaking from distance. Devin Vassell saw his first shot go down encouragingly. Former USC standout Isaiah Collier droved doggedly into the paint to get some points, while Markkanen found his shooting touch. The non-Vassell Spurs’ shots stopped falling over several minutes, and Markkanen got a traditional three-point play with a pretty catch-and-shoot three. Utah, as it did throughout the second period, took advantage at the free throw stripe to surge ahead of the hosts. The Jazz went into the break up 53-45. With his team struggling to hit shots, Harrison Barnes turned his attention to the offensive end at the start of the third period, and San Antonio briefly erased the entirety of that halftime deficit. Utah ran the same action over a number of minutes by posting a big at the front of the rim and was able to go up as much as nine. However, this seemed to collectively anger the Spurs squad, and they made up all of that deficit over the last several minutes - capped off by Blake Wesley zipping a bullet pass to Castle for an emphatic dunk. The teams exited the frame tied at 82. Observations Late on Friday’s Bill Simmons podcast, he rattled off his updated top 25 NBA players list, and had Wembanyama #16 (“mainly for his defense”).” The lower bowl was noticeably empty at tipoff. The commercial snippets during free throws are... something. Paul’s shooting stroke is clearly off. Harrison Barnes stuck his nose in there on some early loose balls that younger players may have given up on. Aside from Markkanen, I’d take Sandro Mamukelashvili (despite registering only seven minutes of playing time) over Kyle Filipowski and Walker Kessler. Sequence of the Game #1: Late in the opening stanza, Castle stole an errant Jazz pass, and fed a streaking Johnson for an alley-oop dunk/layup thing of awkwardness. Sequence of the Game #2: Partway into the second quarter, Mamukelashvili deflected a Utah transition pass, which found its way to Chris Paul, who dished it to Wembanyama for his fourth three of the half. This came after Mamekelashvili almost found Wesley for another baseline lay-up (that he missed). Sequence of the Game #3: With the game in the balance late in the third period, Wesley took an outlet pass from Johnson and soared to the rim through two Jazz for an aerial and-1. One thing Patty Mills could always do was draw charges. His charge drawn on Julian Champagnie halted a second-half Spurs run. Victor Ease: Further evidence that he has just needed teammates to look for him, Wembanyama blocked Markkanen’s three attempt in the opening minute of the second half, and gently laid the ball with his body inches from going over the baseline. Keldon’s Kitchen: Late in the first half, Johnson did what he has been doing better this year - pestering Markkanen into a steal on defense and then barreling into a defender to muscle a bankshot home. There’s been so few close games San Antonio’s played in recent years, that the fourth quarter responses to the Jazz making it a one-possession game (89-89, 91-91, 93-93, 95-95) were a wonderful thing to watch. Wembanyama and Kessler, the top two shot-blockers in the league, had one apiece in the first minute. Castle and Wembanyama’s threes gave San Antonio an early lead. Castle’s second three - from Danny Green’s above the break spot - looked really solid. His third three from even further out looked splashy. Sexton was the beneficiary of some sloppy Spurs’ ballhandling and got two transition lay-ups, and Patty Mills put up five quick points to tie things at 15. San Antonio, after a rash of turnovers and stalled possessions, went down six. Wembanyama’s stepback three drew the Spurs to within 22-25. The Spurs got back ahead behind Wembanyama’s free throws and an acrobatic Blake Wesley lay-up. Jordan Clarkson’s poor approach to defense drew him three fouls and the Spur-tormentor went to the bench. Wembanyama’s three gave San Antonio a four point lead that was erased by Collier’s and Markkanen’s baskets. Vassell sandwiched gorgeous jumpers around Markkanen’s three. The Jazz’s free throw drawing ability paired with San Antonio’s lost shooting touch allowed them to head to the break up eight. Successive runs characterized an excellent third quarter - Spurs 5-0, Utah 6-0, and Spurs 7-0 - with Wembanyama’s fifth three kickstarting the second run, and Barnes ‘sneaking’ in two buckets. Barnes third field goal of the frame tied the game at 62. John Collins and Kessler snuck to the front of the rim for numerous scoring chances, while Johnny Juzang’s straightaway three put the Jazz back up six. John Collins’ second three-point play put Utah up nine. Zach Collins hit a wing three in response to initiate a 10-0 San Antonio run (its third of the quarter!). Vassell’s points looked like what he’s always done for the Spurs - smooth and elegant. Vassell found Zach Collins in traffic for a dunk, and John Collins, despite all the damage he did in the third, picked up his fifth foul. Wesley assisted Castle excellently on a dunk, and San Antonio won the quarter 37-29. At the start of the fourth, Filipowski made a personal 5-0 run, and Wembanyama responded by putting Markkanen in the spin cycle for a lay-up and his sixth three tied the game at 87. San Antonio’s shooting touch betrayed it again, and the Jazz went up four. Castle threw an off-the-backboard alley-oop to Wembanyama, but was fouled by Sexton - nullifying the points. Castle’s confident free throws tied it again at 91. His daring drive around and through two Utah defenders tied things at 93. Unfortunately, Clarkson started scoring at-will with his three making it 99-95. Vassell again drew several defenders and found Johnson for a reverse lay-up, which was answered by an inexplicable Sexton tipback. Markkanen fell awkwardly as he was fouled, but made 1-of-2 from the line to nudge the Jazz lead to five. Shot-after-shot fell errantly for San Antonio until Paul found Castle for a soaring dunk. Chaos ensued during the next Jazz possession as Wembanyama turned away multiple attempts, and Johnson fed Castle for a transition dunk. Sexton and Johnson exchanged clutch threes. Castle fouled Clarkson on a stepback three, and the San Antonian made 2-of-3 to make it 107-104 Utah. Clarkson flopped when Wembanyama made contact with him and the review for the offensive foul was not overturned. After Clarkson made his freebies, Champagnie hit a corner three to bring the Spurs within two. Sexton made both of his free throws, and Vassell’s banker closed out the game’s scoring. For the Jazz fan’s perspective, please visit SLC Dunk. San Antonio continues its homestand on Monday night against DeMar DeRozan and the Sacramento Kings at 7:00 PM CDT.