Jazz Pull Away in Third Quarter, Hold Off Spurs 119-109

Third-quarter separation

A 31-point third quarter gave the Utah Jazz enough room to withstand a late San Antonio Spurs push in a 119-109 preseason victory Monday at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Ja'Kobi Gillespie scored 25 points for San Antonio, while Utah’s Darryn Peterson finished with 14 points and five assists.

Utah led 68-61 at halftime after the teams played an even second quarter. The Jazz then outscored the Spurs 31-17 in the third, turning a seven-point halftime advantage into a 99-78 lead entering the fourth.

Spurs make a late push

San Antonio responded with a 31-point fourth quarter, trimming Utah’s lead during the final period. Gillespie scored three consecutive 3-pointers during the Spurs’ late run, and RJ Davis added a 3-pointer and a layup. Jon Elmore also made a 3-pointer as San Antonio cut the margin to 114-107.

Utah answered with a 3-pointer by Tamar Bates and a basket from Harrison Ingram before Gillespie added the final points of the game. The Jazz scored 20 points in the fourth quarter and held on for the 10-point win.

How the game unfolded

Utah took a 33-26 lead after the first quarter, with the Jazz building their advantage through the opening period. The Spurs matched Utah’s 35 points in the second quarter, but the Jazz’s third-quarter surge proved to be the difference.

Mo Bamba collected nine rebounds for Utah. Jordan McLaughlin had six assists for San Antonio, and Tarris Reed Jr. recorded 17 rebounds. The game drew an announced attendance of 15,495 at the Delta Center.

Records

The Jazz improved to 2-1 in the preseason with the victory. The Spurs fell to 0-3 in the preseason.

Sources

ESPN