Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images Wembanyama and Castle shine as Spurs stay alive in the NBA Cup. The San Antonio Spurs came into their matchup against the Utah Jazz with their NBA Cup chances on the line and an opportunity to extend their winning streak. They got a strong performance from their superstar and rookie as they defeated the Jazz 128-115. Victor Wembanyama showed up on both ends, scoring a game-high 34 points while adding in 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. His rising partner in crime and the second half of the “Area 51” nickname, Stephon Castle, had 23 points and 5 assists, matching his career-high in scoring. The budding duo was supported by the likes of Julian Champagnie and Chris Paul on a fourth-quarter run that stifled the Jazz and won the game for the Spurs. With the win, the Spurs stay in second place in West Group B for the NBA Cup. They’ll need the Los Angeles Lakers to lose to the Phoenix Suns to have a chance to advance out of their group. If Phoenix wins on Tuesday, the winner of the Spurs and Suns next week will likely decide the winner of the group. San Antonio will travel to Los Angeles for a matchup with the Lakers on Wednesday night, where both teams will be playing the second game of a back-to-back. Observations: The Spurs’ four-game winning streak is their longest since March of 2022. San Antonio rode that hot stretch at the end of the 2021-2022 season to a play-in appearance. This year’s Spurs are fighting for a chance to get back there this season. Zach Collins was relegated to the bench in the second half after playing just 6 minutes in the first half and failing to score a basket. Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson elected to go with Charles Bassey as Wembanyama’s backup in the second half. Neither player was particularly effective, but Bassey provided some physicality off the bench. Bassey finished with 2 points and 2 rebounds in 5 minutes. Champagnie picked a great time to get hot from three. He hit three deep balls down the stretch to help the Spurs pull ahead. The wing finished with 15 points while shooting 4-9 from three. Spurs grabbed 13 offensive rebounds, many of them in the clutch. Long rebounds landed in the Spurs’ hands as they beat the Jazz to nearly every 50-50 ball down the stretch. San Antonio ratcheted up their intensity at the perfect time to seal a win in the fourth quarter. Sandro Mamukelashvili gave great minutes, especially in the fourth quarter. In 12 minutes, Mamu was a perfect 4-4 from the field, scoring 9 points. He’s been a part of some positive Spurs runs throughout this winning streak, and it’s obvious that the coaching staff likes what he brings to the court alongside Wembanyama. San Antonio’s defense was swarming in the fourth quarter and was a big part of what set them on their game-winning run. The Jazz turned the ball over 21 times. The Spurs took advantage, scoring 33 points off those giveaways. San Antonio did a good job of disrupting the Jazz offense for most of the night with 12 steals and 4 blocks.