Spurs can’t sustain pace in home loss to Jazz

The Frost Bank Center had been a sanctuary for the San Antonio Spurs. On Saturday night, the Utah Jazz made sure it wasn’t.

Utah shot 45 percent from three-point land as they handed the Spurs a 127-114 loss at the Frost Bank Center, snapping San Antonio’s eight-game winning streak and quieting a crowd that had grown accustomed to wins on its own floor.

"They [Utah] get credit for their production and performance, but I'm pretty disappointed in quite a few things," Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said. "Our game plan and execution that we do every single game. And the Utah Jazz took advantage of that and crushed us when we made mistakes."

Here are three takeaways from the Spurs' loss to Utah:

Too Free From 3

The loss on Saturday came down to one thing: San Antonio simply couldn’t get enough stops when it mattered most.

Allowing 127 points at home underscored ongoing defensive issues, particularly in transition and on kick-out threes. Utah repeatedly capitalized on blown assignments, turning small gaps into extended runs. Stephon Castle committed four of the Spurs' 12 turnovers, including getting the ball stripped on two consecutive possessions.

The Jazz had too much space on the perimeter, allowing them to convert on 17-of-37 three-point attempts. Meanwhile, the Spurs were cold as the incoming cold front from deep, shooting just 23 percent (10-for-44).

San Antonio has made teams fear coming to the Frost Bank Center this season, but Saturday served as a reminder that execution still matters more than environment. Energy alone wasn’t enough to overcome lapses in focus, especially against a team willing to push pace and punish mistakes.

"I thought we missed some really good shots," Johnson said of the Spurs' three-point shooting woes. I feel we didn't connect on our passes, and they did a great job in making us play through resistance."

Wemby gets his groove back

Victor Wembanyama made his return to the starting lineup on Saturday, showing his coach and the rest of the NBA that he is getting his groove back. However, Johnson is sure to monitor him as he makes his return to the starting unit.

Wembanyama finished with a game-high 32 points to go along with five blocks in 27 minutes. It was the best performance Wemby put together since his return to action after missing a month with a calf injury.

Stephon Castle added 20 points and seven assists in the absence of De'Aaron Fox, who missed the game with groin soreness.

While the Spurs had productive individual performances, the Jazz won with depth and balance. Utah’s ability to generate scoring from multiple positions kept San Antonio from loading up defensively.

"Tonight was the first night he started, so there was concern that we didn't run him over early," Johnson said of Wemby's return to the starting lineup. "Obviously, we want his minutes to go up, so just making sure he feels good."

Keldon's hot streak continues

Keldon Johnson has embraced his bench role this season and has played well over the past month. He continued that trend Saturday as he tried to will the Spurs to a win.

Johnson finished with 27 points off the bench, connecting on five of his seven three-point attempts. He found loose balls, put back a miss from Wembanayama, and did everything he could to help his team win, even if he felt they didn't deserve it.

"I think as a collective group, I feel like we tiptoed into the game and didn't deserve to win," the Spurs forward said. "It's a humbling loss, and we know as a group that tonight was unacceptable. I do not feel we played to our standard."

Saturday night was a trap game, and the Spurs fell right into the Jazz's trap. Inconsistent play, turnovers, and missed shots all looked un-Spurs like but Keldon said this will be fixed.

"We get back to the drawing board tomorrow, and we prepare for Cleveland. We do not feel like we played to our standard, but we will get back to that on Monday."

Up next:

The Spurs are now 23-8 on the season and will return to the court on Monday when they welcome the Cleveland Cavaliers (17-16) to the Frost Bank Center at 7 p.m. CDT.