Utah Jazz Overcome San Antonio Spurs 127-114 with Late-Game Surge

The Utah Jazz secured a 127-114 victory on the road against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, powered by strong scoring efforts from Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George. Markkanen tallied 29 points while George contributed 28, as the Jazz executed crucial plays down the stretch to pull away from the Spurs.

Utah established control early, holding a 10-point lead at halftime and extending it to 17 points in the early third quarter. Despite this, the Spurs fought back in the fourth quarter, sparking a 14-2 run capped by Stephon Castle's layup to level the score at 106, setting up a tense finish.

In response, the Jazz regained momentum with a 7-2 run highlighted by two free throws from George with two minutes remaining, pushing their lead to 123-112 and effectively sealing the win.

Bench contributor Waller Clayton Jr. added 17 points for Utah, complementing solid performances from Jusuf Nurkic, who scored 16, and Brice Sensabaugh with 11 points. This victory followed the Jazz's previous night home win over the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons, further boosting their confidence.

San Antonio saw a strong outing from Victor Wembanyama, who led all scorers with 32 points in his first start since mid-November. Keldon Johnson supported with 27 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, while Castle and Devin Vassell contributed 20 and 11 points respectively. However, the Spurs' eight-game winning streak came to an end.

The game opened with the Spurs leading by 11 points four minutes into the first quarter and finishing the first period up 40-32. The second quarter belonged to Utah, who erased the deficit and went on an 11-0 run highlighted by Markkanen's layup, resulting in a 62-51 lead.

Although San Antonio narrowed the halftime gap to 70-60 with contributions from Wembanyama, Johnson, and Vassell, Utah dominated the third quarter, expanding their advantage to 17 points. Despite Wembanyama's three-point play late in the quarter, the Spurs could not close the distance entering the fourth.

Utah's resilience in the final minutes ensured the team maintained control and secured the hard-fought victory over one of the Western Conference's top contenders.