The San Antonio Spurs Don’t End On a High Note With the Utah Jazz

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San Antonio Spurs
March 29, 2023, San Antonio, TX: San Antonio Spurs guard Malaki Branham shoots a floater during the third quarter against the Utah Jazz at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas Wednesday, March 29, 2023. (Photo by Reginald Thomas II/San Antonio Spurs) via nba.com/spurs

Wednesday night was fan appreciation night against the Utah Jazz. That’s fitting for a fan base who has supported their team through a rough season. The San Antonio Spurs fell to the Utah Jazz 128-117. Their record now sits at 19-56, and they stand at 14th in the West.

San Antonio Spurs Battling Through the Fourth

The leading scorer of the night was Malaki Branham with 21 points, two rebounds, two assists, and 1 steal. Right behind the rookie was Tre Jones with 17 points, six assists, and three steals. The Jazz were able to develop their second double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. The Spurs were unable to put down the shots and come back from behind. Utah outscored San Antonio by six shooting 59% from the field, and 50% from the three-point line.

According to Jones the biggest shift in the fourth was a stagnant offense. He continued saying “We weren’t getting a lot of movement. In the first half, we had some stretches where we had good movement on the offensive end, made them work, and got whatever shots we wanted…”

“…In the fourth quarter, we didn’t have the same movement and shots weren’t falling. They were coming back at us in transition and whatnot.” 

Finishing Strong

At this point, the agreement amongst the team is to finish as strong as they can.

“Continue trying to tighten up on the defensive end starting with transition defense. Do all the little things on the offensive end, continue to play together, move the ball more, try to play the right way, and build good habits. Continue to try and do those little things throughout these last few games and carry that momentum throughout the summer and be ready to go next year as well.”

There are six games left in the season. Four will be played on the road, the first being in San Francisco against the Golden State Warriors (40-37). The Spurs will have about one day of rest and then an entire day to prepare for the 9 pm game on Friday night.

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