The San Antonio Spurs improved to 8-8 on the season after defeating the Utah Jazz on Friday night, 126-118. Much like their victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, the Spurs were without their three best players as Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and Victor Wembanyama all sat.
It didn’t slow the Spurs down, at least not when it mattered. The Spurs trailed by 20 points in the second quarter but spent the entire second half chipping away at Utah’s lead.
Utah enjoyed a 27-point outing from Lauri Markkanen, but eight Spurs scored double digits, led by 26 points by Harrison Barnes. For the second game in a row, Stephon Castle and Charles Bassey stepped up when it mattered most.
Castle finished with 18 points and six assists on 6-15 shooting from the floor. Bassey became the first Spur in three seasons (aside from Wembanyama) to record six blocks, and he added eight rebounds and 11 points for good measure.
Bassey’s defense has been one of the brightest spots of the last two games, and there is very real hope that he can rival Zach Collins for minutes for the rest of the season. If this stretch is any indication, Bassey will find a lot of success this year.
That’s not to say that Collins had a bad game. He shot 66.7 percent from the floor, posting 18 points and five rebounds in his second straight start. While the Spurs certainly miss Wembanyama in the starting five, their depth has managed to keep the team afloat.
Chris Paul turned back the clock, recording his seventh double-double of the season. The Spurs’ next game will be against the mighty Golden State Warriors at home on Saturday.
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