Jazz Show Fight, But Spurs’ Depth and Fox’s Late Heroics Prove Too Much in Salt Lake
The Utah Jazz couldn’t quite bottle the magic from Tuesday night’s win, falling 126-109 to the San Antonio Spurs in a game that was closer than the final score might suggest. From the opening tip, the Spurs controlled the tempo, but Utah stayed within striking distance for most of the night-until De’Aaron Fox slammed the door shut late.
Fox was electric down the stretch, pouring in 31 points and knocking down a pair of clutch threes that put the game out of reach. Every time the Jazz made a push, the Spurs had an answer. That back-and-forth rhythm defined the night, with Utah never quite able to flip the momentum in their favor.
Still, Jazz head coach Will Hardy found positives in the loss.
“A game like that, I leave really encouraged and I hope that our team does, too,” Hardy said postgame. “We continue to show that we can play with anybody. It’s about sustaining it for more minutes.”
One of the biggest bright spots? Jusuf Nurkic.
The veteran big man continues to rewrite the narrative on his role in Utah, notching his second straight triple-double with 17 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds. That makes him the first Jazz player since Pete Maravich to post triple-doubles in back-to-back games-putting him in some rarefied air.
And it’s not just a stat-padding situation. Hardy emphasized that Nurkic’s recent surge is more about tactical adjustments than anything else.
“We’ve done a lot of the things you saw tonight with Nurk throughout the year,” Hardy said. “But the last two games, we’ve had to change the concept a bit. Rudy and Victor are elite rim protectors, so we’ve had to shift how we attack.”
Nurkic, who had just one triple-double in his first 11 seasons, has now posted two in a row. His playmaking from the post has opened up new dimensions for the Jazz offense.
Jusuf Nurkic’s last two games:
- 17 PTS | 14 AST | 11 REB
- 16 PTS | 18 REB | 10 AST
He’s also the first Jazz player since Andrei Kirilenko to record multiple triple-doubles in a single season.
But even with Nurkic’s all-around brilliance, the Spurs had too many weapons. San Antonio got five players into double figures, with Victor Wembanyama once again showing why he’s one of the league’s most unique talents. The 7-foot-4 phenom dropped 26 points, grabbed 13 boards, and swatted four shots-altering even more with his mere presence.
“Wemby is an alien; he’s one of one,” said Jazz rookie Ace Bailey. “Not too many people that tall doing what he’s doing. You have to know where he is.”
Bailey, though, wasn’t fazed. The 19-year-old continued his own breakout stretch, torching the Spurs for a career-high 25 points on an efficient 11-of-16 shooting night. He attacked the rim, made smart decisions, and looked completely comfortable in the moment.
“I love a player like Ace with his ability to score, having a big night without just bombing jump shots,” Hardy said. “Getting hot from three is amazing, I’m here for it, but it’s different when he did it in such a strategic way. That stuff is what stands out to me.”
Bailey’s growth has been one of the most encouraging developments for Utah this season. He’s not just putting up numbers-he’s doing it with a maturity that belies his age.
Keyonte George also had another strong outing, finishing with 23 points, five assists and four rebounds. His chemistry with Bailey is starting to show, and his leadership is becoming more vocal.
“Crashing the glass and then also just his aggressiveness,” George said of Bailey. “In every game, he’s gotten progressively better. During the season, he’s been taking some matchups, really guarding, sitting down, just doing some things that he probably didn’t think he was gonna have to do.”
The Jazz may not have walked away with a win, but the signs of growth are real. They battled, adjusted, and kept it competitive against a Spurs team that’s starting to find its rhythm behind Fox and Wembanyama.
Next up: a Saturday night showdown with the Miami Heat. Another chance for this young Jazz squad to keep building-and maybe this time, finish what they start.