Jazz At Spurs: Game Night
Jan 3, 2021, 4:13 PM | Updated: 7:14 pm
(Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Welcome to KSL Sports Game Night as the Utah Jazz travel to face the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center. Follow this page throughout the game for quotes from Quin Snyder’s pregame availability, starting lineups, and updates during the game.
The matchup marks the first of seven games on the road that includes stops in Brooklyn, New York, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, and Washington.
The Jazz are 3-2 on the season, coming off their first home win of the season against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. The Jazz are 2-0 on the road.
The Spurs are 2-3 but are winless since starting the season with wins over the Memphis Grizzlies and the Toronto Raptors.
The @utahjazz begin a seven-game road trip tonight against the @spurs. #TakeNote #UTAatSAS https://t.co/AkSHF5MNXJ
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 3, 2021
Pregame Availability
Snyder praised Mike Conley’s recent play in his pregame availability. The guard is the Jazz leading scorer through five games at 21.4 points per game after scoring 33 points against the Clippers, his career-high in a Jazz uniform.
“He just didn’t have the same consistency because he didn’t have the same comfort level,” Snyder said of Conley’s play last season. “You are always aware of the things that he could do on the court. So, it wasn’t hard to have confidence in him.”
Conley’s play has been critical for the Jazz as both Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic have struggled shooting the ball to open the season.
Though Mitchell is the team’s second-leading scorer at 19.8 points per game, he’s connecting on just 35 percent of field-goal attempts and 29 percent of his threes. Bogdanovic is shooting 30 percent from the floor and the three-point line.
Conley meanwhile is shooting 47 percent from the floor and 45 percent from the three-point line on 8.4 attempts per game.
Starting Lineups
The Spurs will be without LaMarcus Aldridge and guard Derrick White who is dealing with an injury to a surgically repaired toe.
The starters for the @utahjazz and the @spurs. pic.twitter.com/vTlLT1qatX
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) January 3, 2021
First Quarter
Good start for the Jazz as Mitchell found Gobert for back-to-back dunks, which has in turn opened up spacing for the Jazz three-point shooters.
Jazz are 2-4 from deep.
Donovan Mitchell ➡️ Rudy Gobert x2⃣#TakeNote https://t.co/v3StuKNTmF
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 4, 2021
Mitchell’s got 8 early points including two made threes. You knew eventually his shot would start to fall and going 3-5 to start the game, and 2-3 from deep is a good sign.
The Jazz have struggled to stay in front of DeMar DeRozan who leads all scorers with 9 points.
After one quarter, the Jazz lead the Spurs 33-23. The Jazz are on a nice run over the last 5 quarters of closing strong. They didn’t in every quarter against the Clippers and finished the first quarter on an 8-2 run to build a double-digit lead.
At the end of the quarter the @UtahJazz lead the @Spurs 33-23.
Jazz closed the quarter well after getting threes from Ingles and Conley in the final two minutes. #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/1VkRPvnJEP
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 4, 2021
Second Quarter
The Jazz have extended their run to 19-6 going back to the first quarter.
The pace has been good for the Jazz, but even when they find themselves in a halfcourt set they are executing well against the Spurs porous defense.
Gobert’s two dunks to begin the game opened everything up.
Bogdanovic has hit back to back threes and suddenly the Jazz are up 21.
The @Spurs Keldon Johnson liked his matchup against Niang and is now up to 10 points.
Spurs trimmed a 21 point Jazz lead to just 12 in under two minutes.
Jazz up 50-38 with 5:57 left in the half.#TakeNote
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 4, 2021
The Spurs responded to the Jazz 21 point lead with a 13-0 run to cut the lead to single digits. Keldon Johnson was matched up with Georges Niang and got a few easy buckets to get the run going.
Mitchell’s turnovers continue to be a problem, he’s got 8 in the last six quarters of play. However, the rest of his game has been good against the Spurs as he’s knocking down threes and attacking the rim well. Higher energy than he’s had.
Joe Ingles had been very good for the Jazz over the last game and a half. He nearly had a triple-double against the Clippers off the bench and has followed it up with a very impactful 9 points in the first half.
Ingles figuring out how to play his normal game off the bench would be a big addition for the team that got pretty inconsistent play from his last year.
At the half, the @utahjazz lead the @Spurs 65-51.
Jazz role playing wings are having particularly good games.
Joe Ingles has 9 points and 3 rebounds, Royce O'Neale has 4 points and 8 rebounds. #TakeNote
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 4, 2021
Third Quarter
Like Mitchell, Bogdanovic is also having a nice bounce-back game. He’s got 17 points on 6-9 shooting and 3-4 from three. He’s been attacking the paint well and has used his side-step three a few times tonight.
The Jazz three-point shooting continues to dominate the quarter. The Jazz have eight makes on 13 attempts, including a perfect 4-4 from Bogdanovic in the quarter.
With 2:08 left in the third quarter, the @UtahJazz lead the @Spurs 96-73.
Bojan Bogdanovic has 14 points in the quarter and is up to 26 points for the game. #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/E7WJxOY6OZ
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 4, 2021
The Jazz again blow the game open on three-point shooting. Royce O’Neale got into the action who has quietly had a nice season.
For the quarter, the Jazz went 8-16 from deep, which is in stark contrast to the Spurs who have attempted just 14 all night. They’ve only made 4.
With 12 minutes left to play the @utahjazz lead the @spurs 98-76.
Jazz hit 8 third quarter threes, including 4 from Bojan Bogdanovic alone to blow this game open. #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/LGDCgd9sdM
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 4, 2021
Fourth Quarter
The Jazz as a team have been loose with the basketball, leading to 17 turnovers, 11 of which have been steals by the Spurs. Those lead to easy baskets the other way.
On the flipside, San Antonio has just seven turnovers.
However, this game hasn’t been close for most of the second half. Jazz are up 109-85 with under nine minutes to play in San Antonio.
Hey, more threes for the @UtahJazz.
They've got 20 made threes on 38 attempts and lead 109-85 with 8:28 left in San Antonio. #TakeNote
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 4, 2021
Georges Niang finally makes a bucket this season after a rough start to begin the year. The Jazz lead gets pushed to 31, their biggest of the season, and they are going to coast to an easy victory.
Overall very casual win for the Jazz. They simply outclassed San Antonio from the opening tip and it never felt close.
The @UtahJazz win 130-109 in San Antonio.
Jazz were led by Bojan Bogdanovic who had a breakout game. 28 points on 10-13 shooting.
Donovan Mitchell also chipped in 22. #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/B3F96mmgEl
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 4, 2021