SAN ANTONIO (Interstat) — The Utah Jazz erased a 15-point, first-quarter deficit with a dominant second period to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 on Saturday night at Frost Bank Center. The Spurs opened hot, leading 40-32 after one quarter behind Victor Wembanyama’s 32 points. The Jazz responded with a 38-point second quarter, holding San Antonio to just 20, to take a 70-60 halftime lead they would not relinquish. Utah’s efficient offense, shooting 54.2% from the field and 45.9% from three-point range, proved decisive against the Spurs’ 10-for-44 long-range shooting. Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 29 points. Keyonte George added 28 points and six assists. Wembanyama added seven rebounds and five blocks for the Spurs. Attendance was 19,060.

SAN ANTONIO (Interstat) — In a stunning reversal of fortune, the Utah Jazz overcame a disastrous start and a massive pregame point spread to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 on Saturday night at Frost Bank Center. The game appeared to be following a predictable script early, as the Spurs, one of the NBA’s elite teams this season, blitzed the struggling Jazz with a 40-point first quarter. San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama was a force from the opening tip, and the Spurs’ offensive barrage built a lead that reached 15 points. The Jazz, meanwhile, looked disjointed, committing seven turnovers in the period. The most important part of the game arrived in the second quarter, where the contest was decisively turned on its head. Utah’s defense stiffened dramatically, holding the Spurs to just 20 points on 10-of-44 shooting from three-point range for the game. Simultaneously, the Jazz offense, led by the backcourt duo of Keyonte George and Walter Clayton, found its rhythm. Utah outscored San Antonio 38-20 in the period, erasing the large deficit and taking a 70-60 lead into halftime. The 20-point quarter by the Spurs represented a season-low for a period. Utah never relinquished control after that. The Jazz weathered several pushes from San Antonio in the second half, maintaining a double-digit lead for much of the final two quarters. Every time the Spurs threatened to cut the lead to single digits, Utah answered with a critical basket, often from Lauri Markkanen or a timely three-pointer. Markkanen led the Jazz with 29 points, continuing a run of strong individual performances. Keyonte George added 28 points and six assists, while Walter Clayton provided a crucial spark off the bench with 17 points and five assists. Jusuf Nurkic recorded a well-rounded line of 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists. For San Antonio, Victor Wembanyama posted a dominant stat line of 32 points, seven rebounds and five blocks, but his effort was undermined by his team’s cold shooting from deep. Keldon Johnson added 27 points and 10 rebounds, and rookie Stephon Castle scored 20 points. Dylan Harper dished out 12 assists. The statistical disparity was stark. Utah shot 54.2% from the field and 45.9% from three-point range, while San Antonio managed only 43.9% from the field and a frigid 22.7% from beyond the arc. The Jazz also committed only 10 turnovers after the first-quarter struggles, compared to 15 for the Spurs. The victory improved Utah’s record to 12-19, snapping a two-game skid and providing a surprising bright spot in a difficult season. The loss dropped San Antonio to 23-9, a surprising stumble for a team that had won eight of its last nine games and was projected by analytics systems to have a 94.1% probability of winning. The Spurs had been installed as 16.5-point pregame favorites. The total points scored, 241, fell under the betting over/under line of 245.5. Utah travels to face the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. San Antonio will host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.

SAN ANTONIO (Interstat) — The surging San Antonio Spurs, owners of the NBA’s second-best record, will look to continue their dominant December when they host the struggling Utah Jazz on Saturday at Frost Bank Center. The Spurs (23-8) enter the contest having won 10 of their last 11 games, including a 117-102 road victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Christmas Day. All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox led the way with 29 points, continuing his stellar playmaking and scoring. Over his last 10 games, Fox is averaging 17.4 points and 5.6 assists, serving as the engine for a balanced Spurs attack that features reigning MVP Victor Wembanyama and rookie Stephon Castle. Conversely, the Jazz (10-19) are mired in a four-game losing streak following a 137-128 home loss to Memphis on Tuesday. Utah’s defense has been a persistent issue, allowing an average of 135.5 points during the skid. A bright spot for Utah has been the recent play of second-year forward Kyle Filipowski. He is coming off a career-high 25-point, 13-rebound performance against the Grizzlies, his third double-double in the last 10 contests. Filipowski has shown flashes of high-level production, including a 25-point, 9-rebound game in a win over Dallas on Dec. 15, but his consistency remains in development. The matchup at point guard will be critical, with Fox’s explosive speed and playmaking posing a major challenge for Utah’s backcourt, likely featuring Keyonte George, who scored 24 points in the last outing. San Antonio has dominated recent meetings, winning seven of the last ten against Utah. The Spurs’ combination of elite defense, anchored by Wembanyama’s rim protection, and efficient offense will test a Jazz team searching for stability. Utah will need a monumental defensive effort and a high-efficiency night from Filipowski and its scorers to snap its slide against the Western Conference powerhouse. Following this game, the Spurs host Cleveland on Monday, while the Jazz travel to face Boston on Tuesday.