Photos: Spurs beat Jazz 104-102
SAN ANTONIO —
Postgame
Gregg Popovich's young Spurs had yet to win a game this season when trailing to start the fourth quarter, but they erased a 15-point deficit to give him win number 1,336 and put his name on top of the list of most wins by a head coach in NBA history.
Game Story
First Quarter
Utah hit the first three of the game, but Keldon Johnson answered with his own. The Jazz turned it over several times in the first few minutes, and Josh Richardson snaked his way into the paint for a pull-up jumper.
Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley each hit a three before Dejounte Murray drove his way to the stripe. Mitchell hit another, the Jazz played solid defense, but then so did the Spurs. Richardson got it to Poeltl in the paint for a hook shot over Gobert.
Utah built a 7-point lead, and Pop called time. The first play out of the timeout used a series of screens to get DJ a mismatch on Hassan Whiteside, and he drew a foul but missed the free throws. A broken play led to two-man game between Murray and Devin Vassell, opening Vassell up for a three.
A few plays later, Zach Collins drained a three and then made a stop at the rim. Lonnie Walker IV came in and passed to Collins in the same spot for another three. The next play Collins rolled and got hacked on a dunk attempt.
Murray threw a hard pass to Lonnie for free throws, and Jock Landale came in to share the floor with Zach Collins.
Tre Jones threw it away and immediately got it back for a tough driving bucket. Utah turned it over again, and Gobert got free throws but then gave a pair to Collins. Collins hit a technical free throw to tie, then grabbed a pair of offensive boards on the same possession, but traveled.
Dejounte closed the quarter with a deep pull-up three to beat the buzzer, making it 33-30 Jazz after one.
Second Quarter
Dejounte Murray hit the first pair of buckets for the Spurs, then danced on Gobert late in the clock to get free throws. Josh Richardson missed but it fell right in Poeltl's hands for a putback.
San Antonio got two big blocks in transition, and finished the play with a stop. Vassell crossed Rudy Gay and took it to the rim to tie the game. Poeltl stuffed Jordan Clarkson at the rim, then defended well on a switch. Keldon drove strong for the bucket, the foul, and the lead.
Collins made a strong block on Mitchell's drive, but Utah built their lead out to 10 before a timeout by Pop. Dejounte came back in for an assist, a bucket, and a pass to free throws.
Utah led 59-50 at the break.
Third Quarter
Things got off to a rough start, with the Spurs missing their first couple of shots and turning it over while Rudy Gobert getting an open dunk. Utah struggled to score outside of that, and Keldon spun his way to the paint for a deuce. Devin dribbled in for a long two, and DJ picked off a pass but turned it over.
Halfway through the quarter, the teams had scored six total points. Josh Richardson drove, crossed, and finished a huge dunk. Soon after, Lonnie dropped a pick and roll pass to Collins for a finish that made it a three-point game.
Utah got a putback, but Josh Richardson darted across the floor for a steal and a clear path foul. He hit the free throws to cut it to three. Utah answered, but Lonnie cut backdoor and slammed home a lob.
San Antonio missed an open three, then Utah hit one to go back up 8. Tre Jones drove and scored, but Utah called time and answered. San Antonio trailed 74-64 after three quarters.
Fourth Quarter
Utah jumped on the Spurs at the start of the final period, building their largest lead of the game to 15 points.
Josh Richardson stood in front of Rudy Gobert who barreled over him for a Flagrant 1, and Richardson hit both before Poeltl punished a mismatch in the paint to make it a four-point possession. Clarkson's three rolled halfway down and out, and Dejounte drew free throws and then hit a fader in close to make it a six-point game.
San Antonio played high pressure defense and forced a turnover, then Jak got to the line for free throws, he hit the first and missed the second, but the Spurs grabbed the miss and Lonnie hit a three to make it a two-point game. The crowd got live.
After a few misses both ways, Clarkson got an and-1 for Utah but missed the free throw. Lonnie drove strong in transition and got to the stripe. The Spurs got a stop, and Dejounte ripped the strings to tie things at 84.
Utah scored out of the timeout, but DJ took Gobert off the dribble and tied it again. The Jazz got a corner three to take the lead once more, then DJ spun into a mid-range jumper to answer. Gobert went to the line and hit both.
Jak missed a pop-a-shot, but Josh RIchardson came flying in for a putback. Gobert got more free throws after an offensive board, and hit those as well.
Dejounte drove, crossed, and pulled up off a screen for two. He forced a steal, then set up Poeltl underneath for free throws, but he missed the first before swishing the second to tie.
Utah missed, then Dejounte did. Mitchell drove and finished a tough one with his left. Poeltl got back to the line, and hit the first but missed the second. The Spurs got a tough stop, then Lonnie got fouled on an attempt from deep. He tied it on the first free throw, then hit the next one for the lead. He missed the third, and Poeltl grabbed it but missed the putback.
After a long possession, Jak got it in the paint and popped it in over Gobert to put the Spurs up 3 with 31 seconds left. Donovan Mitchell hit a tough shot from the corner, but it was deemed a two.
Josh Richardson got fouled and went to the line, hit the first, but when he hit missed the second Keldon got the board and got fouled, hitting both to make it a five-point game.
Utah hit a three, but then had to foul DJ. Murray drilled them both to make it a two-possession game. Rudy Gay hit a tough corner three, then Murray went the line and hit one. Utah turned it over, and that was it.
San Antonio pulled off their first fourth-quarter comeback of the season, making Coach Pop the winningest coach of all time.
Pregame
The San Antonio Spurs (25-41) will host the Utah Jazz (41-24) and hopefully get head coach Gregg Popovich the All-Time record for regular-season coaching wins.
San Antonio is 1-1 versus the Jazz this season.
In their previous game, the Spurs lost to the Raptors, 119-104.
Keldon Johnson led the team in scoring with 27 points. Dejounte Murray had 25 points and 12 assists while Jakob Poeltl added 12 rebounds and 11 points in the loss.
"I believe we tried but things happened. That's a long, talented team [Raptors]. They have been together. They all get to their spots. It is what it is. We lost," said Murray.
Here are five things to watch for in Friday night's game:
1. The Spurs have recorded more blocks than their opponent in four-straight games.
2. The Spurs have lost two straight games at home to the Jazz.
3. The Spurs are averaging 54.4 paint points good for second in the NBA.
4. The Jazz have outrebounded opposing teams in three-straight games.
5. Utah is 0-10 on the road when trailing after the third period.
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